


Brand New World

by The_Hill_Giant



Series: It's a Whole Lewd World We Live In [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Anal Sex, Biting, Blow Jobs, Consensual Underage Sex, Cunnilingus, Double Penetration, F/F, F/M, Foot Fetish, Foot Jobs, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Masturbation, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outdoor Sex, Pokemon Journey, Pokephilia, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Public Masturbation, Tentacle Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:33:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 47,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Hill_Giant/pseuds/The_Hill_Giant
Summary: Three years ago, Gloria took down the undefeated Leon and saved Galar from disaster.  Now, an enigmatic young girl eagerly dives into the Galarian Gym Challenge herself.  Along the way, she'll make friends, meet rivals, fight an obligatory evil team, get attacked by nuns, unleash ancient beasts, have sex with a lot of Pokémon, and try to be the very best.  #justtrainerthings
Relationships: Original Trainer/Girafarig, Original Trainer/Servine
Series: It's a Whole Lewd World We Live In [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047334
Comments: 79
Kudos: 41





	1. The Day Has Come

**Chapter 1 - The Day Has Come**

* * *

**March 12** **th**

This was it. This was the big day. The girl tried to collect her scattered thoughts, barely audible in her own head above the roar of the plane's engines. It was her first time on a plane, obviously. And how cool was that? It was just the first of many new experiences she planned to take in. Amara's trepidation gave way to giddy anticipation as she looked out the window at the beautiful scenery of Galar unfolding below.

"Thanks again for doing this, ‘boss’," the man sitting next to her said.

With a small sigh, and a very practiced polite smile, Wicke gently reminded him, "I am certainly not doing this for you, ‘Your Highness’."

"All the same, I appreciate that you're willing to look out for my daughter,” he replied, genuine gratitude showing through in lieu of his normally cavalier tone.

“I am doing my part to ensure she doesn't turn out to be another you," Wicke jabbed; it was the closest he'd ever heard her come to being actually disrespectful.

"Can we not fight on such a momentous day?" Colress requested. "I'm sure Amara would appreciate a more civil atmosphere before her departure.”

"I can speak for myself," she reminded him. "The fact that I completely agree being beside the point here."

"Apologies, Miss Amara," Wicke offered.

"So not sorry," the man said in contrast. "I'm just expressing gratitude; not my fault she hates me."

"The human emotion is well outside my area of expertise," Colress began tentatively, "But it is entirely your fault by my understanding."

"Details," the man and his daughter dismissed him in unison, sharing a giggle.

Jade could also not hold in her laughter at the exchange. She was incredibly nervous about the whole affair; Amara was not exactly well-versed in dealing with humans, or even being outside. Nor was she, to be fair. Now, here they were, plus Amara's new friend JoJo, preparing to dive headfirst into a foreign country and its Pokémon League. How could she hope to keep her beloved Trainer safe?

Picking up on the Pokémon's anxiousness almost immediately, Amara reached down one hand to pat the Servine’s head reassuringly. She knew just how dangerous this was, but she had resolved to not care. It was time to get out of that house and give the real world a try. Realizing she could say that to people and her actual meaning would go straight over their heads brought a delightful smile to her freckled face.

"Before I forget," Wicke began, withdrawing an envelope from the confines of her lab coat, "Here is the letter of recommendation you need."

"Still kinda weird to me that these Galarian types need endorsed challengers,” her dad commented. "Back where I'm from, any old schmuck could take on the Gyms. Any order, too. All this pomp and circumstance is unnecessary at best."

“Perhaps that is a good example of how important it is to actually have standards," Wicke replied, her harsh words still not disrupting her kind and professional tone.

"And that is why I still call you ‘boss’,” he chuckled. "Nobody else has the nerve to yell at me in manager."

"I speak three languages, including a dead one, and manager is one I have never figured out,” Colress chimed in.

Amara didn't really have much left to say. Well, she had lots to say and no real way to say it. Words with people weren't a thing she specialized in. It was something she'd have to work on as she went. Thankfully, her father's bravado seemed to be hereditary. That was _like_ social skills, right?

All too soon, the plane ride was over. Due to the somewhat conspicuous nature of the passengers, they touched down well away from the scattered houses of Potswick. Amara was simultaneously eager and reluctant as she disembarked, her nearly bare feet touching foreign ground for the first time in her life.

"Thank you all for everything!" she gushed, waving excitedly as well as she could with her arm acting up. "I'll be in touch with Siri when it's safe."

The trio that remained in the aircraft offered their farewells in return. As the engine began to hum back to life, her dad abruptly called for the pilot to belay. He leapt from the plane, running, limp and all, to envelop his little girl and one last hug before she began the biggest journey of her life.

* * *

Sonia twirled a lock of red hair impatiently around one finger. It had been time to call it a day at least half an hour ago, and Yamper was not being patient about this unforeseen delay to dinner. She had thought that the Starters that she had given away the previous Friday were the end of Trainer registrations for this year. It wasn't like she minded per se, but she did wish that this last Trainer would be punctual. It was the exact wrong amount of time after the appointment: long enough to be irksome, but not so long that she had valid grounds to worry.

She perked up when she saw the girl hustling down the hill. She was a tiny thing, not much more than 5 feet tall. Her light brown hair cascaded somewhat chaotically behind her as she ran, her face flush with exertion and covered in a sheen of sweat. What struck Sonia as odd about her wasn't her yellow eyes, though that was a strange color. It wasn't her cute freckles or how she managed to move so fast on such a scrawny frame. It wasn't even the Servine that ran by the girl's side. What struck Sonia as odd was the manner in which this girl dressed.

Torn jeans were not exactly a fashion trend the Professor ever understood, but they were far from weird. They were honestly the most normal thing about her attire, though. In lieu of shoes, the girl sported what appeared to be orange bandages wrapped tightly around the arches of her feet. Her backpack was the cheap sort that looked old and worn fresh off the shelf. Its single strap stretched from her right shoulder to her left hip, and the bag, clearly a bit too big, bounced against her back with each step. Sonia was savvy enough to recognize the rainbow glint the newcomers's navel piercing gave off as it caught the rays of the setting sun. She’d never seen a Key Stone in person before, but there was no mistaking it. That was somehow less strange than her shirt. Not only was it cut off to expose her belly, but it appeared to have one long sleeve on her left side and one short one. The shirt was a shade of brown that Sonia would, politely put, never choose for herself…or anyone she cared about. It bore some sort of design, partially obscured by her bag strap. It appeared to be a growling face reminiscent of a Pokémon like Ursaring.

Amara felt like the Professor was staring unduly at her. Of course, Professor Magnolia was the first person she was going to introduce herself to outside of her own home. Ergo, she couldn't tell if she was being stared at too much or just self-conscious.

It took more courage than Amara would ever admit to keep running down the path to the lab. She stopped awkwardly after nearly barreling in to the Professor as she stepped out to greet the girl. Dutifully, Amara tried to make eye contact with the new person. She almost held Professor Magnolia’s gaze for a full second before her eyes darted away almost of their own volition. Unfortunately, her height being what it was, casting her gaze down slightly had her staring at the redhead’s ample chest curving invitingly beneath the confines of her sweater. Hurriedly, she cast her gaze off to the side and awkwardly thrust out her left hand to shake.

"Hello there!" Sonia cheerfully greeted, instinctually trying to shake Amara's hand with the wrong one before realizing she should switch to her left. "I was told to expect a new Trainer."

Sonia noted curiously that what appeared to be a long sleeve was some sort of arm brace. The padding on it was fairly obvious this close, and it extended far enough that it needed a cutout for the girl’s thumb.

"H-hi,” Amara stuttered. It was honestly terrifying just trying to be courteous to a stranger, but she had resolved to get used to it. Breaking into a half smile, she introduced herself, “Amara Rogue.”

"Rogue?" Sonia repeated. "That's a somewhat odd last name, if you don't mind my saying so."

Amara chuckled awkwardly before explaining, "That would be because it's my middle name. Amara Rogue Brighton.”

"And where did you say you were from?" Sonia asked. "You don't seem like a local."

"Sinnoh,” she lied as confidently as she could. She had rehearsed this. "A little village called Eruza." 

"That makes the Porygon Phone on your belt even odder,” the Professor commented. "I would think Rotom is easier to find in its home region."

Amara just shrugged. Of course, Rotom were in short supply where she was actually from, but Professor Magnolia did not need to know this. No one needed to know this, in fact. It would probably also be a bad idea to mention that Siri's phone had been personally designed by Colress, one of the most infamous scientific minds in the world. It was just another of the many secrets she'd have to keep on her journey.

Sonia really didn't think much of it. Her interest in the phone was to remind herself which version of the PokéDex app she would need to install for the new Trainer. It was just one of a few obligatory things she had to go through to get newbies registered.

"Well, come on in," she said with an inviting wave as she turned to re-enter her lab.

Amara followed tentatively, having never been invited into another person's abode or place of work before. At least, none that weren't owned by her father.

"I'll keep this quick," Sonia said as she made her way to the computer on her cluttered desk.

Amara shuffled her feet awkwardly. "I guess I am holding you up. Sorry I'm late. Jade and I got distracted sightseeing."

With a pleasant laugh, Sonia accepted her apology. "That makes sense; Galar is a beautiful place.”

"Very different from my home," the girl agreed, trying not to smile at just how different she meant. 

Amara's apology had smooth things over with Sonia, but did nothing to get Yamper fed. The corgi Pokémon wandered somewhat rambunctiously around the lab, clearly impatient.

"Should I go find your Pokémon a treat?" Amara asked. "He seems like he's about to eat your furniture."

"You can go check the kitchen; just leave your phone here,” the Professor replied gratefully. "Will it unlock if I ask? I need to install the PokéDex app, among other things."

"Siri, play nice with Professor Magnolia," the teen instructed as she wandered to the back of the lab in search of the kitchen.

She quickly realized she had forgotten to actually give the phone to Sonia, and hurriedly doubled back to place it in the redhead’s outstretched hand. Not really wanting anything said on the matter, she scuttled into the back of the lab and began rummaging through cabinets in search of some kind of Pokémon treat for the electric dog that followed her.

By the time she and Yamper emerged from the back, Berry juice dripping behind the Pokémon as he ate messily, Sonia had unhooked Siri from her computer and was typing away at her keyboard.

"I just need a few more things to get you registered," she said, not looking up from the screen. "Date of birth?"

“February 2nd,” Amara replied. She slowed down to count back 15 years in her head. “Two….thousand and…three!”

"You sound unsure of that," the redhead pointed out with a giggle. "If you’re younger than 15 it's ok. Just as long as you were born in 2008.”

"Nah," Amara dismissed with a shake of her head. "I’m a tad nervous. Had to make sure I didn't fuck up my math and say 2016 or something idiotic."

"That would make you the tallest two-year-old I've ever seen," Sonia remarked. “Honestly, you have nothing to be nervous about. I don't bite."

"Aww, even if I asked nicely?" Amara whined, then promptly clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized she had _not_ kept that in her head.

 _Only for Nessa,_ the Professor thought. Aloud, she simply changed the subject. "Sorry to say, I am down to one Starter Pokémon. You guys who already had Pokémon were bottom of the list, and two other Trainers got theirs Friday. I'm sure you'll love Sobble, though.”

"Appreciate it, but I'm good. I actually have two already," she declared, fishing a Repeat Ball off her belt and tossing it. "Meet Jonah Joestar!”

"All right then. I'll keep the little guy in case somebody else shows up last minute. Since I don't have to transfer a registry, you're all set," Sonia declared, standing up to pet the Darumaka that materialized on her coffee table. "You are an official Trainer as of now. You have until the 19th to get to Motostoke for the Gym Challenge. The opening ceremony is on the 20th; miss that and not even the fanciest letter of recommendation can save you. Trust me, even Lee learned that the hard way one year."

Amara could not help but wonder if Professor Magnolia was referring to Galar’s world-renowned Champion, formerly undefeated until a little over two years prior. The redhead had a faraway look in her eyes and a wistful smile, and was staring off into space, clearly looking at cherished days gone by.

“No time to lose, then,” Amara said, clipping her phone to her belt. "JoJo, return! Jade, let's go! Thanks for everything, Professor!”

With that, the girl took off out the door not even waiting for a goodbye. Sonia smiled as she watched the teen take off. She seemed a tad awkward, but something about her was, if she had to put it into words, just different. It was potential, she was pretty sure. Maybe not the same as what she’d seen in Gloria three years ago, but definitely worth watching.

"Safe travels, Amara Rogue," Sonia called, even knowing the girl couldn't hear her.

Amara, meanwhile, had once again begun to full-on sprint through the grass. It was different from how it felt on the way down; she was a for-real Trainer now. It was like this new world was even newer. The air whipping past her was exciting, the evening dew beneath her feet cool and refreshing. Her partner, her best friend, ran loyally by her side. Nervousness aside, Jade was also stoked to finally be out of that house, and to see the world beyond with the girl she loved.

Once she was certain she was out of earshot and safely on the Route, Amara could not resist singing,

“ _I wanna be the very best,_

 _Like no one ever was…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the other smut fic I've been working on. It started as a series of shorts to help me get a handle on an OC, her team, and her friends. The shorts weren't in chronological order, and progressively ballooned into a Google doc of like 70,000 disorganized words. I'm going to start at the beginning and work in (with some editing for pacing) the stuff I'd written as it comes up.
> 
> This is the same canon as Lillie's Saving Grace, but takes place about 5 1/2 years after that one ends (give or take more plot springing up as I go). This canon is derived from a bizarre mixture of the video games and an RP my friend ran for years. Events usually unfold close to how they did in regular canon unless we knew our characters were involved or the canon didn't make sense and we had to get our characters involved (as was the case for the events of Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon). Amara is the daughter of one of my characters from the RP. There's a long story there and I plan to tell it.
> 
> Updates will be a lot less consistent than Lillie's Saving Grace, as my buffer is all out of order and I have to fill in a lot of stuff that I just left in implications or flashbacks.
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoy! It'll be a bit before we get to the porn part, but we will get there, I promise.


	2. It's a Whole New World

**Chapter 2 - It’s a Whole New World**

* * *

**March 13** **th**

The sunrise was somewhat momentous. For the first time, Amara awoke on the floor of a tent, in another land, and without anybody besides Jade to worry for her. The girl yawned and stretched, sitting up slowly but no hurry to rush her first morning in Galar. The air was chilly, but not unseasonably so. The misty fog and gentle cool breeze that greeted her when she unzipped her tent flap reminded her a lot of home. She only opened the flap a little ways, enough that she could see out through the mesh it concealed, but not enough to expose herself to passerby. Jade stirred from her slumber, blearily snuggling into her Trainer’s side for warmth. She wasn't even awake enough to appreciate the fact that Amara was naked. Without turning her gaze from the outside, the girl gently pet her Servine’s head while the snake drifted back into slumber.

Eventually the morning light began to pierce through the thin fog, Jade had finally roused from sleep, and Amara's stomach was making its displeasure at her hesitance known. Reluctantly, she shed her sleeping bag and began to fish PokéBalls out of her bag. Opening them, she scattered the clean clothing contained within all over the floor of her tent. She selected an outfit for the day, then returned the Balls to the holders that lined the inside of her bag. 

Jade always had mixed feelings about watching her Trainer get dressed. She never ceased to appreciate the fleeting glimpses she could catch of the girl’s nudity, though watching her slowly cover it up was disheartening. Amara started by putting on her usual underwear selection: a plain gray sports bra and a pair of boys' boxer briefs. The girl never thought this was particularly sexy, but she dressed for comfort mostly. It wasn't like she was putting on a show for anyone, right?

Next up were a pair of cargo khaki pants, much more intact than her usual jeans. She made sure to feed a belt through the loops, which was always a process given her left arm. Jade insisted on helping in spite of her adamantly saying that she had it. The hardest part by far was attaching those dang PokéBall holders. She slipped on a T-shirt next, a rich orange color with stripes like an Arcanine along the sleeves. She went for the arm brace next, stopping to look at the scars marring her left arm before actually putting it on. 

All these years later, the red lines still looked thick and puffy, consisting of a line horizontally across the flesh above her elbow and two diagonal lines running down along the sides until they crossed over halfway down her forearm. She couldn't rightfully tell if she'd meant to carve a twisted facsimile of the letter "A" that day, but that resemblance sometimes struck her as a crueler joke than the injuries that came with it. Trying to push the thoughts from her head, she slipped her arm into the brace, slowly working the compressive elastic up her arm until she could tuck her sleeve into it. She took a moment to admire it once she had gotten it into place; it was so cool that she could've had one printed with that same Arcanine stripe pattern.

Sitting down, she stretched her feet a bit before fetching two rolls of compression wrap from her bag. She hated having her feet covered, especially with the nerve damage to her good hand, but something had to be done to mitigate the consequences of walking. This had struck her as a good compromise years ago. Thankfully, compression bandages like this we're not only cheap, but laundry safe. In the long run, it was actually cheaper than shoes. She gave it for a tentative flex once the beige wrapping was in place to make sure it was tight and comfortable.

 _Heh, tight and comfortable,_ she thought to herself with a silly grin. _I’m sure there’s a “that’s what she said” type joke in there somewhere._

* * *

After sharing a leisurely breakfast with her Pokémon and recalling the tent, Amara was on her way. She hadn't made it far from Professor Magnolia’s lab and was still on Route 2. She, Jade, and JoJo amused themselves fighting the assorted Blipbugs and Nickits that came out at her. It wasn't long before the local wildlife was giving the girl a wide berth.

After some walking, she happened across another Trainer standing idly on the side of the road. She was tossing a PokéBall back and forth between her hands. Amara grinned, eager for her first real battle.

"Our eyes met!" she called jokingly, waving at the other girl. "Let's have a Pokémon battle!"

“No," the Trainer replied, not bothering to look Amara's way. "What, you think just because you're a Trainer now that you can just go challenge whoever you want and they have to fight you?"

"I'm fairly certain that is exactly how this whole Trainer thing works," Amara pointed out, trying not to be fazed by this person's condescending tone.

"Maybe it would be, if you were somebody worth my time," the Trainer said, waving as if to shoo Amara off. "But I’m top of my class and I don't have time to scuffle with commoner nobodies like yourself."

"Can you please not call me that?" Amara protested.

"What? Commoner?" scoffed the Trainer.

“No, that's fine," Amara responded. Chuckling, she added, "Hilariously wrong, but fine."

"So you don't like it when I call you a nobody?"

Clutching her left arm tightly, Amara nodded, no longer able to look directly at this girl. "Please stop.”

"Aww,” the Trainer taunted. "Is the little snowflake getting triggered?"

"Yes," Amara nodded, relaxing visibly. "Thank you for noticing!”

“Ooh,” she winced. "Not just a nobody, but a clueless nobody! You really think I actually care how you feel?"

The girl laughed derisively, a shrill obnoxious sound befitting her personality. Abruptly, she had the wind knocked out of her as she landed hard on her back. Her eyes darted around in confusion, finally settling on Jade's piercing glare. The Servine let out a menacing hiss, wordlessly warning her not to try getting up.

"That was uncalled for!" she shrieked.

"Sorry, sorry! You're right," Amara agreed, walking over to the girl's prone form as though to help her up. With a heavy kick between the girl's legs, she clarified, "I should've done that myself. Let’s go, Jade!”

"I will report you! You'll lose your license! You hear me?"

Amara paused and looked over her shoulder. "What are you going to tell them? That You got assaulted by a 5 foot 3 1/2 girl because you refused a League challenge and then went out of your way to set her off? You really want to tell everyone that a mere commoner humiliated the top of the class like that, be my guest. Alternatively, you fell down some stairs and we can leave it at that.”

Dumbfounded, as she was not used to people standing up to her at all, the girl relented, "I… fell down some stairs. Yeah."

* * *

Amara had just wrapped up lunch and was filling up her canteen in the stream when she heard a male voice calling out to her, “Hey! Finally found you!”

She looked around in confusion until she spotted a dark-skinned purple-haired boy dressed in jeans and a lab coat. She’d recognize him anywhere! There were like 3 people she know of in the real world that shared her eye color, and this one had been on the televised Galar League battles.

“Oh my gosh, I know you!” she called back.

Hop braced himself. He was used to living in his brother’s shadow by now, but it still sucked that after everything he’d accomplished, he was still “Leon’s kid brother” to most people.

To his shock, that was not at all what she was going to say. “You’re Zacian’s Trainer! I’m a huge fan! What do you need with me?”

“Sonia said you took off before she could give you PokéBalls! Hard to have a proper journey without ‘em, innit?” Hop told her as he caught up. Handing her the small bag full of them, he had to ask, “So you watched my matches? I’m just chuffed to meet a fan.”

“Renegade yes! That look on Gloria’s face when Zacian swept her out was priceless! Only 6/0 in Galar League history, right?”

“Yeah, I’m proud of her. Still, kinda for the best Lee took the title back for me,” he replied with an awkward grin, scratching the back of his head. “Being Champion was fire and all, but there was no time left for my Professorship.”

Amara remembered that match well. Hop had invited Leon to the tournament to prove he had surpassed the former Champion, only to have his precious team taken apart by the older Trainer’s prize Charizard. The commentators had been at a loss for words when it happened. Amara may have thrown more than a few kernels of popcorn at the TV screen while berating Hop for getting starstruck by his pretty boy brother and missing an opening. She thought it wise to not rub his nose in it, especially since he’d come all this way to do her a favor.

* * *

The girl found herself grateful for Hop’s visit sooner than expected. Sticking out of the tall grass near Wedgehurst was a fluffy striped tail. It was dark purple, with a pair of cream-colored pinstripes on one side. From beneath it came cute array of chittering noises as the Pokémon pawed around for tasty seeds or bits of fruit, causing her tail to bounce and pivot adorably.

“Stunky, the Skunk Pokémon,” Siri infomed Amara when asked. “Type: Poison/Dark, Ability: Aftermath. Stunky’s primary means of defense is a fetid liquid or gas it can emit from its tail. Substances in this spray can keep their potency for up to 24 hours, making Stunky a popular choice for bounty hunters and some police.”

“That sounds unpleasant,” Amara commented as she looked back at the tail. It was raised much higher now. “Oh, heck me.”

“Fetid” was the understatement of the year, it turned out. The noxious liquid drenched Amara’s clothes in spite of her having kept what she had mistakenly assumed to be a safe distance of several yards. Her eyes watered and her stomach was doing flip-flops as the stench invaded her nostrils.

“You fool,” she chastised herself, even as she gagged. “You didn't realize you were already within range of its Stand, 「Toxicity」! Go, JoJo!”

As the Darumaka came roaring at Stunky, she realized that perhaps she had fucked up. A Fire Punch sent the skunk flying from the relative safety of the grass. How the little rotund monkey got so much power into that tiny fist was beyond her. Her vision blurred as she struggled to her feet. Slowly, JoJo came into focus, a flame around his right fist highlighting the star-shaped patch of orange fur around the eye on that side. 

Acting fast, she lunged at her attacker, ducking the next Fire Punch and laying into him with Fury Swipes. JoJo tried to counter, but his vision was obscured by Smokescreen. Nothing seemed to connect. He growled in frustration.

“Try Flame Wheel, buddy!” Amara instructed.

It always took him a moment to gather enough energy to light himself ablaze, but this was worth it. The Stunky yipped in alarm and recoiled as her claws were met with a sheath of blazing fire. Now knowing where she was, it was trivial for JoJo to grab her and fling her back over his head and out of the Smokescreen.

“You’re mine!” Amara proclaimed, grinning as she expanded a PokéBall in her right hand. “Gothcha!”

Stunky watched in awkward silence as the sphere missed her entirely, bounching harmlessly along the ground. She looked at the Trainer in confusion. She knew how this was going to end, of course, but that was just anticlimactic.

“Heh, sorry! I am not great with this arm!” she explained, waving her arms frantically in front of her. “Jade, can you-?”

Noticing that the Ball had landed facing the Stunky, Jade darted forward and pivoted into a skillful Dragon Tail. The skunk Pokémon barely registered what was going on as she was flung into the button. She tried to resist the containment, but she was too dazed from the blows she’d taken.

“All right!” Amara cheered. “My first catch! Now let’s hit that stream again.”

* * *

“JoJo, Rock Slide and make a spot for the clothes! Jade, keep a lookout!” Amara ordered as she began shucking her malodorous clothes. “This had better come out; I like this outfit! Go, Stunky! We’re washing you, too!”

Stunky did not think her first experience with a human would be getting dragged into a stream and scrubbed clean. She panicked a bit at first, assuming the vengeful human meant to drown her in the rushing water. Soon, though, she was just relaxing and enjoying the shampoo being rubbed into her fur. It felt luxurious having a human tend to her grooming like this.

JoJo, meanwhile, busied himself with heating the water filtering through the rocky alcove he’d made. Laundry was not his favorite chore, but he was pretty good at it. They’d practiced with his dad before his dad’s Trainer had given him to his daughter. It was important to all of them that Amara have help in the wild.

Taking another whiff of herself, Amara wrinkled her nose. “Giratina’s sake, it’s like rotten eggs cooked in milk left out for the entire month of August that then got farted on! And that’s after three scrubbings with soap!”

Stunky chittered awkwardly, trying not to laugh at the human’s discomfort. The fact that her reaction had not calmed down any three bathings in was just too funny. She couldn’t imagine what Amara would be saying if she’d actually used the noxious stuff.

* * *

Some time later, Amara was wrapped up in a fluffy towel. Stunky stood on another towel on the girl’s lap, happily nuzzling the brush that was running through her fur.

“I still smell kinda like sulfur,” the Trainer pouted. Her eyes widened. “Sulfie! I will name you Sulfie! How’s that?”

It was cute enogh for her tastes, so Sulfie barked her agreement.

“By the way, the one hanging up the clothes there is Jade,” Amara said, gesturing to her Servine. “The guy you fought is Jonah. We call him JoJo.”

“Grr-aa!” JoJo bellowed, flexing his muscles.

“Almost!” Amara praised him. “Bit more from the stomach. And open your mouth wider, Ohhhh!”

“Ohh-raa! Ora!”

“Yes! That’s it!” Amara squeed.

<Is she always like this?> Sulfie asked Jade.

<She’s pretty much always a dork, yes,> the Servine confirmed with a nod. <But she’s my dork and I love that about her. Why, regretting getting caught?>

<Nah,> the skunk replied, swishing her tail. <If I’d known brushing was this awesome, I would’ve come quietly.>

<You think brushing’s good?> JoJo asked. <Wait ‘til you taste the food!>

Sulfie relaxed, going limp on her Trainer’s lap and chittering as the brush stroked her. This was the start of something great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the first of Amara's many secrets is revealed! She is, in fact, a weeb. I believe the technical term for somebody like her is "adorkable".
> 
> So, researching skunk noises, I was surprised at their range. In just one video, I heard them chatter, chirp, squeak, and make noises like barking and even oinking. I really want a pet skunk now.


	3. Into the Wild

**Chapter 3 - Into the Wild**

* * *

**March 14** **th**

Amara’s stomach was not particularly appreciative of her first train ride, but she ignored her discomfort as best she could. The view outside was amazing; hills and fields and streams passed by in the distance, occasionally interrupted by a signpost or something near the rails whipping past. Amara had her nose pressed up against the cool glass when Jade returned, carrying a small box. She hopped up on a seat near her Trainer, appreciating the view before wrapping her vine around the box and gently nudging Amara’s leg with it.

“Oh, they did have some? Thanks!” she said as she tore it open. Her eyes narrowed as she sounded out the word on the box. “Dimenhydrinate?”

Shrugging, she popped two of the pills into her mouth and swallowed them with a swig from her canteen. She hoped they’d be fast-acting. The remainder were confined to a PokéBall and put in her bag; this would be far from her last train ride. She also took a moment to collect her change from Jade and thanked the Servine again for going to find an attendant.

While she put the coins away, Amara took a moment to pop open another Ball and admire her souvenirs. She was stoked to find out that the rail station had a coin press, and now had a pair of ₽100 coins flattened into ovals, newly stamped with a herd of Wooloo surrounding a shepherd on one and a rustic-looking panorama of Wedgehurst on the other. They weren’t her only ones, but they were the first she had collected herself, so she admired them, at least until her stomach took umbrage with her staring at still objects in a moving vehicle. Groaning in frustration, she stowed the coins and stared out the window again.

Mercifully, it wasn’t long before the medicine eased her upset stomach, at least enough that she didn’t have to consciously focus on something else. Now that she was feeling better, she had something she wanted to try out.

“Sulfie, c’mere,” she beckoned.

The skunk Pokémon hurried across the asile to her Trainer, chittering happily and wondering what Amara was rooting around in her bag for. The answer turned out to be a small black circle with a white label.

“You up for doing an important job?” the girl asked, waving the disc. When the Stunky reluctantly nodded, she explained, “This is a gift from Dad. One of those old-timey Technical Records from his Trainer days. I can teach it to you, but you’ll have to use the move a lot.”

That didn’t sound so bad. Sulfie barked and nodded a bit more eagerly. She’d heard legends of the magic circles that taught attacks. The skunk Pokémon stared in wonder as Amara loaded the disc into a tray that suddenly popped out of Siri’s side. Then she found herself being recalled to the confines of her Ball. Next thing Sulfie knew, she was being flooded with this weird knowledge.

“It is done,” Siri confirmed. “Sulfie learned Secret Power!”

Amara discarded the burned-out TR in the trash, then sent Sulfie back out. The Pokémon looked thoughtful, like she was trying to process what she suddenly knew.

“The move is called Secret Power,” Amara explained. “It draws a little essence from your surroundings to produce effects. But that’s not why I taught it to you.”

At this, Sulfie cocked her head and squeaked for clarification,

“The move can have an effect on the terrain, too. It’s a tradition in the Hoenn region, among others, for Trainers to use it that way. You’ll see.”

<Dad told me!> JoJo proclaimed. <You’ll love it!>

<If it’s so great, why didn’t you learn it?> Sulfie asked, narrowing her eyes.

<It’d go screwbally when I evolve,> he replied with a shrug. <Mostly a Darmanitan problem.>

Sulfie wanted to continue her line of inquiry, but was interrupted by the PA announcing, “Next stop, Wild Area station.”

* * *

“This,” Amara declared. “This is why I picked Galar.”

She hadn’t moved much since reaching the edge of the station’s property, where Pokémon tended not to come. Amara was more concerned with little things. She was basking in the way the grass felt beneath her toes, the smell of the air, the rustle of the breeze in her hair, the midday light glinting off Lake Axewell in the distance, and the distant shapes of Pokémon wandering about. It was beautiful.

“No place else had the kind of wilderness I wanted. Well, maybe Fiore, but I’m pretty sure they frown upon people trying to have a League challenge there,” she said with a giggle.

Jade shook her head slightly. She didn’t get what was so funny about what Amara had said, but she did at least enjoy hearing the girl she loved laugh. She seemed a bit less reserved than she was around the house, and certainly less nervous than she’d been meeting the Professor. Jade could only hope it didn’t spiral into recklessness like her moods too often did.

When Amara let out an excited whoop and took off down the hill, Jade figured she would have no such luck. She darted after her Trainer, keeping low to the ground and hustling as fast as her legs would carry her.

It wasn’t long before Amara nearly trampled a Skwovet who had been partially concealed by grass. She recoiled before it could bite her and tossed a PokéBall.

“Go, Sulfie! Let’s start your Secret Power training!”

It was so surreal for her, just doing something she had never done as naturally as a move she’d honed for years. The Stunky aimed her tail and let power well up from her feet and through her entire body. Suddenly, she was letting loose a creeper vine. It struck the Skwovet cleanly, sending it sprawling on its side, motionless. At first she was proud of herself for knocking her opponent out in a single hit, but then she heard the sound. Skwovet snored softly, fast asleep from the attack.

She eagerly tested her new skill on wild Skwovet, Bunnelby, and the odd Combee that flew too close to her and her Trainer. She was getting the hang of it pretty quick. Whatever she was standing on determined the nature of the attack. Its appearance varied wildly, from vines to pebbles to sprays of water, but Sulfie quickly learned it was no harder or easier to aim no matter what form it took. Only the manner in which it afflicted targets changed. She found it fascinating.

It soon became apparent that not everyone was enamored with Sulfie’s training. An annoyed bellow accompanied by the ground rumbling made her jump. She turned to face the source of the sound and her fur stood on end. She barked a warning at the Onix that was barrelling at them, but it paid her no mind. Instead, it looked around at all the signs of battle and roared at Amara.

“Alright, then,” she said, her lips twisting into a cocky half-smirk. “Let’s rumble. Jade?”

In spite of her earlier reservations, Jade found her Trainer’s confidence infectious, especially when Amara dipped two fingers into the neck of her shirt and fished out a pendant. She soon wore a similarly smug expression as she regarded their aggressor.

Sulfie stared in rapt fascination at the necklace. She’d never seen anything like it. It was like somebody spun glass out of gold. It was shaped like the round things she’d seen humans trade for food and stuff, and bore a raised starburst in the center, dyed black. Even weirder was how it was lighting up brilliantly as Onix bore down on Jade.

“Ready?” Amara asked, still unfazed by the behemoth trying to crush them.

Jade nodded once, dodging out of Onix’s Iron Tail and jumping to her Trainer. Spinning her body, she tapped her tail against Amara’s outstretched left hand like a high five. As soon as contact was made, light burst out of Amara’s pendant and began to pour into the Servine until she was cloaked in a golden aura. Onix hurled a rock at the pair, causing them to spring apart. When Amara landed, she had her hands pressed together in front of her almost as if praying, then brought her arms over her head jumped, spreading them wide as well as with her legs.

“Bloom Doom!” she called.

The Servine hissed, sending a pulse of brilliant emerald light from her body. For a brief moment, the whole hill they were on seemed to be covered in flowers. Jade swished her tail at Onix, and suddenly a sunbeam engulfed the Rock-type. The sunlight grew in intensity until suddenly it exploded into a shining lotus blossom. As quickly as the light came, it was gone, leaving Onix unconscious in its wake.

“Heh,” Amara chuckled. “Meeting a hot redhead? Terrifying. 30-foot rock serpent? Piece of cake.”

Quickly, she took a PokéBall from her pocket and walked over to the prone Pokémon. This would be an easy catch. She expanded it and took aim. No way could she miss at this distance, not even throwing righty. Drawing her arm back, she prepared to catch her fourth team member.

The Ball stayed firmly in Amara’s grip as she followed the motion through. Looking around, she didn’t feel right about it. Onix had rushed her after she’d attacked so many wild Pokémon. It was just trying to protect the denizens of its home. It wouldn’t want to leave, nor did she want to take their protector away.

“C’mon,” she ordered her team, pocketing the sphere. “We’re outta here.”

* * *

“Watts?” Amara asked with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t take PokéBucks?”

“Usually not,” the man admitted. “Tell you what. Lemme set you up with a collector app and I’ll take cash this time.”

“Is this like Bitcoin?” she demanded as she unhooked her phone from her belt.

The vendor laughed heartily, “Nah, nothing so new-fangled. Energy leaks out all over Galar. It can be stored in devices like phones and used later. We trade it as currency out here, because having enough to power a radio or heater does a lot more good than bills and coins if the worst happens.”

“So, I just walk and get it?”

“Not quite,” he clarified, sending her phone a link to the app. “Else we’d steal from each other by mistake. If you see a huge spike in it, like at a Raid Den or in the wake of a really strong Pokémon, just hit the button and you’ll pick up some of the residue. The apps have limiters to make sure we don’t take too much; Arceus only knows what’d happen if we drained the Wild Area dry.”

While the humans continued their technobabble and haggled over food, Sulfie was pressing Jade for information.

<How did you do that? Is it because of that necklace?> she asked, wagging her tail.

<To a large extent, yes. JoJo can do it, too,> she replied.

The Darumaka flexed a bit. <Mine are better! I get fire!>

Sulfie was getting really psyched now. <Can I do that, then?!>

<Takes time,> JoJo explained. <Only Jade got it right in one go.>

<And she needs to rest before she pulls that again,> Jade added, her tone not quite scolding. <It takes a lot more out of her than she cares to admit.>

<OK, so what  _ is  _ it?> Sulfie inquired.

“Hey guys,” Amara cut in. “I got us meat for dinner and directions to where I wanna go. Let’s hit up some Berry trees on the way.”

Eagerly, JoJo ran himself at the nearest one with a loud, “Oraaa!”

The girls all laughed at his excessive spunk as they ran after him to collect the mountain of fruit he had knocked loose. Sulfie decided she’d just have to ask more about the weird attacks later.

* * *

The Dappled Grove was as beautiful as Amara had hoped, covered in an abundance of trees with brilliant sunbeams filtering through the foliage. The trees proved abundant in more ways than one; she was pretty sure she had enough Berries by now that she could cook for a week and still have enough left to open a farmer’s market.

The atmosphere here was peaceful. Pancham ran around playfully, excitedly dashing around Amara and her Pokémon. Some even invited JoJo to run with them for a bit. Fletchling and Pidove sang in the branches above. Even a Ludicolo could be seen enjoying a siesta beneath an apple tree. 

The only evidence of human tampering to be found here were the intermittent stone circles, pulsing with an ominous red glow. Amara walked up to each one she saw, draining energy into Siri so she could shop later. She wondered about the civilization that had built these Raid Dens, and for what purpose they did so. For now, she didn’t want to get too close without a Wishing Star to her name.

Amara kept scanning the area for something, but her Sulfie wasn’t quite sure what. Jade didn’t seem to be helping her Trainer look, and JoJo was still frolicking with the locals. The Stunky decided to take a break from figuring out her human to join JoJo, the Pancham mob, and a Comfey that had been gathering early blossoms.

Eventually, Amara spotted something that caught her fancy. She actually heard it long before it came into view. A small creek ran through the woods, its clear, cool water burbling over rocks as it flowed.

“This way!” she called, taking off towards it.

Amara was so excited, Jade thought it was a small miracle she had the presence of mind to take her bindings off before stepping into the water. She shrieked and giggled at how cold it was, barely giving her team time to catch her as she took off upstream. Not one to pass up a nice experience, Jade hopped in after her Trainer. Sulfie darted in and out of the cold water, and JoJo just gave the whole thing a wide berth. Eventually, he just groaned at Amara to recall him so he could rest.

The creek grew wider and deeper as Amara ran up it. She was mesmerized by all the life surrounding it. It was the kind if forest floor that was perpetually covered in last autumn’s fallen leaves, with green grass only poking up at the banks of the winding creek. Several Pokémon scattered when they saw intruders coming their way. Tympole hopped away from the bank or dove into the deeper parts of the water. In the distance, Amara could even see a Sawsbuck and a Stantler flee with their Deerling fawns in tow. It was nice to be somewhere so full of life, even if said life was freaked out by her.

Eventually their path began to go uphill. The creekbed had several abrupt shelves in places, and Amara just stopped to marvel at the sight of the water cascading down. Even if they were barely taller than her ankle, she was impressed by the waterfalls.

“Check it out, Jade!” she yelled, pointing. “That’s nothing like the ones at home!”

The Servine hissed in agreement at that. This rustic vista bore no resemblance at all to the waterfall near Amara’s house, which had always terrified her a bit. This new place was gorgeous. She ran to her Trainer’s side, nuzzling the girl’s hip and begging to be petted while they took in the scenery.

Soon they were moving again, off into still hillier terrain. It was there that Amara found what she was looking for. She had not known what she was trying to find, but she knew immediately that it was perfect. Short cliffs jutted up off the right side of the creek. In an alcove among them, a gargantuan tree grew out of the rock face. The ground in front of it was uneven, thrown into disarray by the massive roots running through the area. The tree had thick, lush leaves and sturdy branches. This was it.

“Sulfie, see that?” she asked, pointing to the tree. “Use Secret Power!”

Confused, the Stunky did as asked. A jet of rocks and mud skipped along the uneven ground until it hit the tree trunk, at which point it turned into a vine frenetically spiraling up to the canopy. With a loud rumble, the vine seemed to find purchase on a thick bough and suddenly extended down to the ground, now thick enough to climb with ease. Inexplicably, a hole opened in the tree’s leaves, beckoning them in.

“By Giratina, it actually works,” Amara muttered as she stared at Sulfie’s handiwork.

The inside of the hole was even more inexplicable. Tree branches had become smooth wooden floorboards, and the leaves came together to make a thatch roof of sorts. It almost seemed bigger on the inside; the presence of stone near the back of the base seemed to indicate that Secret Power had dug all the way into the cliff face.

“Home sweet home,” Amara declared, breathing in the woody smell that permeated the space. “Let’s get to work!”

It took practice, but Sulfie learned she could make minor adjustments to the space including a second door that opened up to the unaltered branches above and a hallway through the rock to the creek. Amara had her split the space into three rooms before tossing a PokéBall containing what appeared to be a computer. She hooked Siri up to it and began withdrawing furniture.

Jade shot her Trainer a disapproving look as she tried to hoist a nightstand. Even as she groaned in pain and staggered with it, Amara refused help. Not willing to put up with it, Jade knocked JoJo’s Repeat Ball loose and began motioning to where she thought things should go. Amara tried to protest the help, but Jade dragged her to the room with the mostly wooden floor and a stone prep area where Sulfie had raised a counter.

“Fine, I guess I’ll cook,” she harrumphed. “But not because I can’t lift my own stuff!”

Sulfie stared in awe as the Base came together. Bean bag chairs dotted the entry room in front of a modest entertainment center. Mattress pads and a nightstand went into the fully stone room to make sleeping quarters. Several odds and ends wound up adorning what was clearly becoming the kitchen, including a pantry, dish rack, some basins, and another nightstand to hold cutlery. Soon, there was very little for the Pokémon to do but relax as Amara worked on chopping up Berries. 

The girl sang to herself while she worked, her hips swaying in rhythm.

“ _ Why… in a world that’s so imperfect, _

_ Should I… be allowed to be so hot? _ ”

Sulfie stared at the Trainer, slack-jawed and unable to look away. 

<What’s the deal with her voice?> she managed to ask, softly.

<Oh, it does that to you, too?> Jade asked in reply. <Beats me; her singing’s always had that effect. I just thought it was because I’m in love with her.>

<Bold thing to admit,> Sulfie commented absently.

<Yeah, and if you two give me grief over it, I will school you both, Type advantage be damned,> Jade warned matter-of-factly.

Sulfie shook her head. <Nah, just sayin’.>

The two fell quiet as they continued to listen.

“ _ I got the grace of a dancer, a golden voice, _

_ People seem to hate me like I had a choice, _

_ Bein’ this blessed is a lonely place to be… _

_ It’s a burden bein' wonderful like me.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, guys. Adulting sucks.
> 
> Man, a lot to touch on here.
> 
> I've mentioned before that Amara's father is an old character of mine. He dates back to when I was playing Sapphire. Not Alpha Sapphire. Just Sapphire. Him still having old one-use TMs of moves from then is a nod to that. Also, headcanon says that TMs/TRs are the size of GameCube discs, so they fit in large phones, PokéDexes, and a lot of the other random devices they've made for Trainers over the years.
> 
> Oh, and before I get called on it, yes I know that ₽ is actually the symbol for rubles, not PokéDollars. It is, however, close enough to pass at a glance and I actually have it as a text symbol, unlike the proper one. So, y'all get to deal with me using it during the rare times I need to call out an amount of money. Tangentially related, I used to love collecting pressed pennies in my youth. It just kinda popped into my head as an adorably strange hobby for Amara to have, so Galar has ₽100 coin presses now. According to Google, they still exist IRL in England, so maybe I'm not too wrong.
> 
> For those of you who have never just taken a hike up a creek, I highly recommend it. I don't know if it's true everywhere, but my area has a bunch of creeks winding through the woods surrounded by hills, and they're gorgeous. The terrain does change a bit as the creek changes altitude or winds in and out of tree cover, and wading is just fun if you don't mind getting wet.


	4. So Close, Yet So Far

**Chapter 4 - So Close, Yet So Far**

* * *

JoJo had not been joking about the food, Sulfie was learning. Amara emerged from the kitchen with a tray that smelled heavenly. She walked to the center of the living room with it, setting it gently on the floor before plopping down in her beanbag chair and grabbing a plate off of it.

“Food’s up,” she said, in case her three Pokémon had somehow not noticed.

The plates were loaded with hamburg steaks, simmered and subsequently covered in a Pinap/Leppa sauce. Thin, jagged slices of Occa Berry topped the dish; Amara still struggled to cut neatly with her right hand. There were also small bowls of what appeared to be some kind of mushroom salad for a side. Sulfie continually sniffed at and recoiled from hers. The smell of vinegar was completely unfamiliar to her and she had no idea what to make of it,

“At least try a bite,” Amara encouraged. “If you don’t like it, I’ll eat yours. Or JoJo will. Depends who’s faster.”

The Stunky did as instructed, selecting a plump piece of mushroom to nibble on. In spite of the pungent aroma, the weird stuff her Trainer had put on it kept it incredibly juicy with a vibrant flavor. She pulled the bowl to her as JoJo leaned in to take it, growling possessively.

Amara giggled uncontrollably at the display. “As far as praise for my cooking goes, ‘I’ll fight you’ seems pretty high.”

By the time dinner was over, every plate and bowl had been cleaned. The same could not be said of Sulfie and JoJo. Their fur was splotched with Pinap sauce and vinaigrette. Amara just pointed at the tunnel down to the water.

“Bath time,” she instructed. As the two made their way across the Base, Amara jumped to her feet and darted to the kitchen. “Oh, JoJo! You mind drawing water while you’re down there?”

She came back and handed the Darumaka an empty basin. He nodded and took it from her before bounding off down the tunnel. She watched him go, then turned her attention to Jade.

“Help me get the dishes together so we can wash them when he gets back?”

The Servine nodded, her vines already lifting plates and bowls off the floor.

* * *

The chores didn’t take too long with Jade’s help. Stretching, Amara wandered out to the living room, looking at JoJo and Sulfie still wrapped up in towels. Jade followed, claiming a bean bag as her own and curling up.

“Hey, I was gonna get myself changed and stuff,” Amara told the Pokémon. “You guys mind hopping in your Balls for a bit so I can have some alone time, then we can all pass out together?”

Two of the three nodded and were recalled. Jade shook her head, not budging from her spot. Sighing, Amara pointed the Ball at her, anyway. All too predictably, the recall beam was blocked by a Light Screen.

“Jade,” she groaned. “C’mon.”

The Servine shook her head, hissing softly.

“Jade! I’m-” Amara began, raising her voice before thinking better of it. Crouching next to Jade, she told her in a near whisper, “I’m gonna masturbate, ok? So, do you mind?”

The Pokémon shook her head again in response, hissing a bit more insistently. This time, when Amara pointed her PokéBall, Jade batted it aside with her vine while staring the Trainer in the eye.

Amara sighed heavily, but couldn't keep the beginnings of a warm smile from her face. “Heck’s sake, Jade. I know you worry, but I promise I can jill off without getting jumped or something. Really.”

Jade made a show of settling deeper into the bean bag and hissed again. The message was quite clear: it was nothing she hadn’t seen before, and she had zero interest in being confined. She knew that Amara knew how much she hated being in her Ball, which made a decent enough front for her real motivation here.

“Fine,” the girl relented. “But don’t make it weird, got it?”

Amara didn’t wait for any kind of answer from her starter before she turned away and began undoing her belt. There wasn’t any real point being shy about her body with the Pokémon she’d lost her virginity to; Amara mostly wanted to hide her blush and somewhat lascivious smirk. 

Jade was her closest friend. For the longest time she’d been Amara’s only friend. Of course she wanted more, but she couldn’t bring herself to risk such an important bond by pushing any further than one night of experimentation. Jade had been with Amara her whole life, and vice-versa. If she made a move that made the Pokémon feel trapped or pressured, she’d never forgive herself. The very notion that Jade, who she loved like no other, could ever grow to resent her was too terrifying to risk trying anything. 

That being said, if she was going to be like this then maybe, just maybe, Amara could test the waters a bit. If Jade was okay with her Trainer being sexual in her presence, and had a lot of time not being totally isolated with her, maybe she could become receptive to a romantic connection…

Amara chastised herself for her thoughts as she dropped her pants and shorts. She told herself it was just her hormones talking, completely unaware of the red eyes that smoldered with desire as they stared at the girl’s taut butt.

For Jade, the best night of her life had been that one. Amara had been just as beautiful to her at 12 as she was now. She remembered vividly the anticipation the two of them had shared as they waited for Amara’s father to leave. Then Amara’s face, flush with excitement as she led Jade by the vine to her bedroom, giggling like a schoolgirl.

She had wondered often if growing up with Amara the way she did made her feel an attraction that wasn’t there. Humans had a name for it, she was pretty sure. It was so often just the two of them. Sometimes the girl’s father could come stay along with his Pokémon, sometimes not. Other times it was the aides in white or gray uniforms, and rarest was Amara’s mother. They couldn't go out; people could only come in. So, was she just attracted to this human because she had no one else?

Jade had gotten her answer that night. The two were together for hours, reveling in the smoothness of each others’ skins and the curves of each others’ bodies. Amara had been insatiable and quite curious. By the end of the night, Jade’s cloaca had hosted Amara’s eager fingers, tongue, and even the awkward explorations of her toes. She’d also partaken of all the delights of the human girl’s body. Any time she hesitated, she was encouraged to try whatever she wanted. The final orgasm either of them enjoyed that night was Jade bringing Amara off with her vines, one in each of her lower holes, slowly teasing her to climax and watching her writhe and cry out in ecstasy.

Even remembering what they had shared always made Jade’s heart flutter. She knew then that she wanted sincerely to be with Amara. She wasn’t settling, or forcing herself, or anything of the sort. Honestly, the only way she was deluding herself was by acting like she was at peace being “just friends” as the girl had requested after. But, as her guardian, Jade knew what happened when Amara was pushed too hard. So, she waited patiently for the girl to reconsider. This little act of defiance was the most vehement she’d ever been with her wants. Even going this far gripped her with dread.

Jade squinted her eyes shut, hoping that would somehow stop her from seeing the memory of the time fear had really taken hold of her beloved. Of the time she hadn’t gotten out of her Ball soon enough. She was reminded enough of her failure looking at her Trainer’s left arm every day; she could really do without reliving the moment. Unpleasant as it was, it reminded more than anything her that no matter how madly in love she was, she couldn’t push.

She reminded herself that even this level of intimacy was to be cherished and opened her eyes, wondering if she should help as Amara struggled out of her shirt. Honestly, she ultimately felt no need to interfere. If the girl felt comfortable enough enjoying some self-love in Jade’s presence, she shouldn’t sully the routine any. She just wanted to enjoy it.

Amara hazarded a glance Jade’s way as she removed her bra and tossed it near her other clothes. The Servine was curled up, eyes lidded most of the way shut. She couldn’t figure out if the Pokémon was watching but feigning disinterest or just keeping an eye on her. It probably didn’t matter. Nothing would come of this, after all.

She decided to also pull the brace off. She wasn’t in the mood to look at her arm, but she really liked the Arcanine print and didn’t want to get anything on it. Her nervousness coupled with the fact that she hadn’t done much of anything in the last couple months since leaving her house had her more than a little wet already.

With the last of her clothing gone, Amara took a moment to look over herself. Her slight frame bothered her a bit as always. It wasn’t so bad that her ribs showed through, but it was enough that she’d made active attempts to gain weight. She desired a softer upper body, and was secretly hoping that her boobs would grow a bit if she put on a few pounds. She otherwise liked those just fine; they were perky, on the high side of A-cup with pale and rather sensitive nipples. She couldn’t stop herself from letting out a tiny moan as she gave one a squeeze.

She did really like her legs, at least. Constant walking and running had kept them toned. She always joked that they were the only muscle on her, and as such comprised 90% of her body weight. She had a large splash of freckles along her hips and thighs, notably lighter than the ones on her face from a lack of sun exposure. Giving her breast one more grope, she slid her hand down between her thighs. She crooned softly as her fingertips drifted across the downy brown hair over her pussy. She’d considered shaving, but it had never grown in thick enough to be a hindrance; it actually felt rather nice beneath her fingers.

Amara brushed her fingers along her needy slit. Even barely making contact, the motion lit up her nerve endings; she had needed this so badly. Eagerly, she applied a bit more pressure, drawing her fingers back up along her inner lips and finally grazing her clit. The stimulation drew out an almost guttural moan and made the girl’s legs buckle. She staggered and flailed to keep her balance, heavy footfalls snapping Jade to full attention.

“I’m good!” she promised, her arms spread comically wide as she panted a bit. “I’m, uh, just gonna sit down now like a smart person.”

Jade really wished Amara spoke her language as she retorted, <What was that about being able to pleasure yourself safely?>

Her hissing earned her an accusatory finger jabbing the air near her snout. “I am like 70% sure I know what that remark was and I do not appreciate your sass!”

The Servine just fixed Amara with her best “really?” look. Eventually the Trainer’s stern expression cracked into a smile and ultimately a giggle.

“Ok, fine, that was pretty funny,” she admitted as she lowered herself gingerly into her own bean bag.

Leaning forward slightly, Amara took a moment to sweep her hair over the back of the chair before really sinking into it. She had learned once the hard way that holding her weight wrong on hair that draped down past her shoulder blades was a great way to kill the mood. Her left arm protested slightly at being bent that far back, but she dealt with it. It did feel like her hair had settled back into its usual shape, which always perplexed her; no matter what she did short of gel or spray, her hair would curve slightly when left to its own devices, arcing slightly to the right in the middle with the end tapering off on her left side. She was pretty sure that wasn’t common, but she didn’t mind it any; it made her feel like an anime character.

Now that she was settled in, it was time to return to the task at hand. Amara was thankful that she’d brought the jumbo bean bag chair as she spread her legs and drew her knees up, planting her feet on the fabric. Not willing to be patient any longer, she slid her right hand down and began working two fingers inside herself. Without thinking, she brought her left hand to her mouth and gently bit down on her finger to stifle the moans and whimpers she was letting out.

Jade smiled at the sight of her Trainer; she looked and sounded adorable like that. She yearned to be able to go over and help, maybe see how fast Amara would cum when her forked tongue hit the girl’s clit. In lieu of that being a remotely good idea, this display was a great consolation prize. Fleeting eye contact told Jade that she had been caught staring, but that only seemed to get Amara’s fingers moving more frantically and spread her blush from her cheeks to her ears.

Amara’s heart skipped a few beats when she glanced over and met Jade’s eye. She couldn’t read the Pokémon’s expression too well, but she did know she had the Servine’s full attention. Whatever the reason, it was fueling her arousal like no fantasy ever could. Unable to restrain herself, she released her finger from her teeh and let out a loud cry of pleasure as she fucked herself.

She wanted to draw out this moment, but her body was vehemently demanding satiation; if she didn’t cum soon she’d probably do something she and Jade would regret. Her thumb soon found her engorged clit. Just the slightest pressure on the nub drew out an exclamation so loud it made her thankful she’d come so far off the beaten path to make her Base. Her fingers were almost a blur as she pumped them in and out of her dripping channel.

“F-fuck,” she whimpered, her voice soft and shaky. “It feels so fucking good. I can’t believe I waited this long…”

Come to think of it, Jade was also somewhat surprised Amara had gone so long without touching herself. She had only done so once since they had left home and started staying with her father back in January. Then again, Amara’s pleasure was never a quiet affair; Jade had learned that very soon after the girl discovered the joys of the Internet.

“I’m getting close,” Amara whispered, ostensibly to herself. In truth, she just wanted to make sure Jade’s eyes were on her. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum!”

A few quick motions with her thumb had Amara crying out inarticulately. Even with her eyes squinted shut in ecstasy, she could practically feel Jade’s gaze boring into her. To her knowledge, it had been the better part of three long years since her starter had seen her like this, and knowing she was putting herself on display for the Pokémon was intoxicating. It wasn’t long before she felt her pussy spasming around her fingers, her voice rising to a blissed-out scream as her climax washed over her.

After a few moments, Amara finally figured out how to open her eyes again. She glanced at Jade, a bit disappointed to find the Servine once again curled up with eyes lidded nearly shut. Had she just been imagining the Pokémon’s gaze?

“T-told you it w-was safe,” she panted, trying to elicit a reaction,

Jade perked up and faced her Trainer, making sure her eye roll was clearly visible. It also gave her an excuse to really take in the sight of Amara. She was flushed even brighter than she had been a few minutes ago, her chest still heaving as she caught her breath, and the fingers of her right hand glistened visibly in the lamplight. Almost of its own accord, Jade’s tongue flicked out for a moment to savor the heavy scent of sex in the air. It seemed like Amara was too dazed to notice.

A few minutes passed, and finally Amara felt safe standing again. She slowly rose to her feet and went for her bag. Soon, she was clad in an oversized shirt she liked to use as a nightgown and carrying a bag with her toothbrush down the tunnel to the creek. With her head still in an endorphin haze from her orgasm, she felt the need to remind herself to brush her teeth and  _ then _ relieve herself in that order.

Once she was ready for bed, Sulfie and JoJo were sent back out. Amara asked Sulfie to close the Base up for the night while she busied herself putting the now dry dishes away and collecting her scattered clothes. Stretching, she made her way to the bedroom, motioning for her Pokémon to follow.

“Siri, get the lamp!” she called over her shoulder. Now, with the only light in the Base coming from a nightlight in the bedroom, Amara declared, “Cuddle puddle!”

Eagerly, the girl threw herself onto the mattress pad, and was quickly joined by Jade, JoJo, and Sulfie. There was some adjustment while they shifted to all get comfortable under an oversized blanket. Before long, the four of them drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's Chapter 4. Must be time for my female Trainer to masturbate where her Grass starter can see. I didn't actually plan it to work out this way, but at least I'm consistent.
> 
> So, if you all listen close, you can hear my beta reader screaming in frustration at this one. Understandably, Amara and Jade dancing around each other like they do drives him nuts. I think the only reason it doesn't drive me that nuts is that by design, I have to understand where they're both coming from and how it all ends. Spoiler alert: even I wind up actually yelling at Amara from time to time as I write her.
> 
> I feel like I should take a moment to talk about Amara's insecurity with her body. It's not me low-key body shaming skinny people or people who otherwise don't conform to obnoxious and arbitrary beauty standards. It is most certainly not me trying to say she's unattractive; I really just want to hug her and tell her she's adorable and sexy. Self-image problems are frustratingly easy to develop and are sadly quite persistent in my experience. Given how different she looks from the "beautiful" famous people, it's sad but unsurprising that Amara turned out that way. It's something that she wrestles with throughout the story, not a value judgment on my part. And to those of my readers who share this problem, who feel unattractive or otherwise uncomfortable in their own skin, my heart goes out to you. It's something I struggle with myself, and I don't wish it on anyone.
> 
> On a lighter note, time to update tags and see how many got added from one chapter!
> 
> Edit: The answer is 10. That vague flashback was worth 9 of them. Go me.


	5. The Tower

**Chapter 5 - The Tower**

* * *

**March 15** **th**

Honestly, it was bound to happen sooner or later; everything else had been going well. Amara didn’t know if she or a Pokémon had slept on it wrong, or if she just chose the wrong night to not wear a brace, or if she just wasn’t allowed too many consecutive days of comfort. Regardless of the reason, her left arm couldn’t move when she awoke.

It was unusual but not unheard of for it to be this bad. The whole limb seemed to be asleep, rife with that obnoxious numb tingle. She could register the presence of absence of things touching it and not much else. Desperately, she tried to move it to no avail. Her shoulder would swivel a bit, but the arm hung useless and limp at her side. She couldn't even close her fist.

That was when the pain started. It was a low, throbbing ache through the old cuts to start. Amara knew it was psychosomatic, which annoyingly did nothing to alleviate it. If anything, berating herself over the phantom pain intensified it.

Amara’s biggest fear in moments like this was that she would finally be stuck this way. She had already struggled to an upright position. Now she whimpered pitifully as she picked up her useless formerly dominant hand with her working one and let it drop against her side. The hope was that between the motion and the slight impact, she would encourage circulation again. When she still couldn’t move her fingers, the girl’s breathing began to border on hyperventilation, punctuated by whines and half-sobs as she desperately tried to flex, rub, or bludgeon life into her left arm.

Jade had been awake as soon as Amara had moved the first time, but chose this moment to nuzzle her Trainer’s side and hiss softly. She never knew exactly what to do at moments like this, but she did know not to touch Amara’s bad arm lest she panic or enrage the girl. 

Sulfie backed away and watched Amara’s freakout blearily. She barely understood what was happening, but concern was perking her up very quickly. The sound of Amara’s panicked breathing was even enough to rouse JoJo, who was also at a loss for how he could help.

After a few minutes, Amara was able to loosely curl up her fingers. Her breathing slowed, though the whimpers persisted as impossible but annoyingly real pain seared along her scars. The next several were spent trying to find her voice.

“S-sorry, guys…” she apologized, massaging her wrist as she clumsily flexed her left hand. “I… Um. I-it’s bad. Need t-time.”

Jade stared at Amara’s face, eyes full of concern. Even though her breathing had become a little steadier, sudden uncontrolled intakes of breath kept making her stutter. That was never a great sign. With a small sound to get the girl’s attention, Jade gestured to her arm, wordlessly offering to bring her a brace.

“Please,” she whispered. “And J-JoJo. Heat?”

The Darumaka approached slowly, gently wrapping his arms around hers and pressing the limb against his fur. Amara could at least feel the warmth he was putting off, so that was a start. Now that it wasn’t occupied trying to move the left, her right hand was free to grab the loose collar of her nightshirt and use it to dab at the tears that had welled up in her eyes. It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

 **March 16** **th**

“Sulfie, Astonish!” Amara called as yet another Gastly swooped in. “Seriously, what did I do to pull aggro?!”

She let out an exasperated sigh as the ghost Pokémon sank motionless to the ground. The incident with her arm the previous day meant she was already behind schedule. Most of the Pokémon she’d passed had left well enough alone or perhaps come up to investigate the Trainer and her Servine. Even the other Ghost-types here were super chill about Amara’s presence. But the Gastly just would not stop.

The concentration of wandering spirits grew denser as she approached a crumbling stone tower jutting awkwardly from the surrounding grass. Mercifully, the Gastly seemed to have thinned out. A whole drove of Duskull drifted aimlessly through the air. Some circled the ruin, a few others flew to nearby trees to nibble at the Berries growing there, and others still seemed to be chatting with local Golett in hushed tones, pointing at the human intruder. The Golett all stood at attention as Amara drew near, and she hesitated.

Collectively, the little constructs all turned to face a lone Golurk wandering the plain nearby. It looked Amara and Jade over before shaking its head once and continuing. Apparently she wasn’t a threat. The Golett relaxed. One even rushed over to punch a Gastly that tried to jump the girl.

<Thanks!> Sulfie called as she scrambled up onto Amara’s shoulder. <But why help us?>

<RUDE,> the golem replied simply before returning to where it had stood previously.

As she walked on, Amara slowly began to truly appreciate the size of the tower. It had looked miniscule in the distance, but now she was blown away by its awesome stature even though it was missing several floors from the top. While the ruin seemed ancient, creepers and moss hasn’t even grown all the way up it. She could barely fathom what it would have been like when it was intact.

Her first instinct would have been to climb it, of course. Sadly, her left side was still not up for such a task. She had regained some control of her hand; it was enough that she could grab and answer her phone lefty, but not browse the Internet. Any task that required her to be able to grip super well was just a bad plan.

Scanning the area, Amara found a stump she could rest on and seated herself. It was a good vantage point, too. She could see out over Lake Axewell and marveled at the column of violet light that shot into the cloudy sky from its island. Siri had been mopping up Watts from the Dens they passed near, but Amara hadn’t yet happened on one whose energy poured out like that. If she looked the other way, she could see the imposing stone ruin looming atop the hill.

She sent out JoJo and the four of them shared a couple Persim Berries and passed the canteen around. JoJo spent the whole time eyeing Amara with concern. She hated it; she didn’t want her Pokémon thinking she was so fragile. The girl put on her best smile, trying to help him see her usual self. In many ways, she aspired to be like her father: confident, always smiling, and above all else powerful. That broken and childish part of her was just something she needed to grow past, and quickly.

Of course, if her father were here, he’d tell her to own it. He’d say that there was nothing wrong with being broken, as long as she could move forward. That being said, he probably didn’t have to face pity and fear from his partners. His body actually freaking worked, though she supposed she had nobody but herself to blame for her own shortcomings.

Jade hissed in disapproval as she watched her Trainer’s face. The girl had a cocky smile plastered on but her eyes were a million miles away. They’d lived together more than long enough for her to surmise what was going on in Amara’s head. She was more than certain of it as she watched Amara have to try about four times to screw the cap back on her canteen with her left hand. She was obviously forcing herself not to react.

<She’s being difficult,> Jade told JoJo. <I get that you’re concerned, but you just have to let her be. She hates feeling like she can’t do things.>

<So I should pretend like Amara’s fine after that display?> he demanded.

<Just…be yourself,> Jade instructed. <Don’t fuss. The best thing you can do for her right now is just be here and let her figure it out.>

He supposed he could manage that. Jade had many years of experience on him, so she was the expert after all. He relaxed as best he could and started begging his Trainer for another Berry.

“Ok, but last one,” she told him, handing him a Razz Berry. “Looks like it’s gonna rain soon.”

Sure enough, droplets began to cascade down shortly after everyone finished eating. Not wanting them to get too wet, Amara recalled Sulfie and JoJo. If it was just a light drizzle, she didn’t mind finishing the trek to Motostoke in the rain.

Sadly, it was not. In the few minutes it had taken Amara to get halfway up the hill, the weather had gone from pleasant to unbearable. Amara’s clothes were soaked through already, and heavy raindrops stung where they struck her. Less so on her left arm, but that didn’t make her feel any better. For lack of a better option, she motioned to Jade and took off at a full run. She hoped the tower had enough of a roof to protect her from the downpour.

<INADVISABLE,> a Golett warned as they ran past.

<HAZARDOUS,> another corroborated.

In spite of their admonitions, the automatons made no effort to actually halt Amara as she and Jade ran past. Jade resolved to keep an eye out and make sure wherever they holed up had a solid ceiling and a general lack of sharp debris. She had no idea what the Golett had actually been on about until she saw Amara jump into the tower’s open doorway and vanish. With a scream of panicked desperation, Jade leapt through the threshold behind her.

“The heck?” Amara asked as she surveyed the area she’d wound up in as best she could.

Jade rushed towards the sound of her voice, hugging Amara’s leg as soon as she caught up. The ground here was flat. It took Jade a moment to realize that she hadn’t thought about it wrong; this was ground, not floor. The dark sky above was lit up with odd flashes of dim red light that served as the only illumination in the tower, if this space could rightly be called the tower.

“Cool,” Amara whispered. “Let’s get toweled off before we explore.”

Jade did not like the second part of that one bit, but she didn’t object to being wrapped in a fluffy towel. As their eyes became accustomed to the dim red light, it became obvious that this place went on further than they could see, and that they were alone. Shrugging, Amara took that as an excuse to strip down. Dry clothes seemed like a good plan.

After drying off and changing, Amara was ready for adventure. She asked Siri to turn on her flashlight app and help scan the area. It became unsettlingly clear that this wasn’t helpful; there was nothing but flat ground for the light to reflect off of. Siri apologized and returned to her spot on her Trainer’s belt.

“I guess we pick a direction and walk,” Amara suggested. “C’mon, Jade. This way.”

Slowly, over the course of an hour and a half or so, Amara’s gung ho attitude faded, yielding to terror as she realized two things. There was nothing here, and there was no way out. Whatever this abortion of space was, it wasn’t somewhere she belonged.

“Still no signal, Siri?” she asked, voice wavering a bit.

“None,” the Porygon affirmed. “Apologies.”

Jade was also starting to panic. She used to think where they’d grown up was unsettling, but it had nothing on this. At least home _had_ stuff. This was beyond even a wasteland. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what this place was or where it could end.

“It’s like it’s infinite,” Amara muttered, mirroring Jade’s thoughts. “It’s… It’s an illusion!”

Jade hissed in confusion and stared at the girl.

“Dynamax Pokémon warp space with Galar particles,” Amara explained. “The documentary I saw said they aren’t really that big, but they sort of are. What if places are like that? What if Dynamax Pokémon fit in those tiny stone rings because space inside is borked?”

Jade wasn’t sure she followed, but the uncertainty in Amara’s tone was not good.

“So, none of this is…real,” she muttered in conclusion. Even just the words crossing her lips made her scars ache. “It’s not real.”

Jade didn’t get time to respond before Amara crouched and grabbed her.

“Are you real?!” she demanded, letting the fingers from both hands trace along the Servine’s face.

Jade nodded and let out a soft whine.

“Am…am I?” Amara asked, her voice cracking. “I’m real, right?”

A gentle vine wiping her tears assured her more than words could. Trembling, she hugged her starter tightly, basking in the sensation and assuring herself that her old fear was not valid. They embraced for quite some time while Amara got her chaotic thoughts back into some semblance of order. If she could understand what was going on, maybe she could leave.

“Ok, we’re doing this!” she resolved, standing at last. “And thanks, Jade. For being with me this time.”

Jade winced at the compliment. She was certain Amara hadn’t meant it the way it sounded; she had a terrible habit of speaking without fully processing what she was about to say. And setting aside the horrid memory of being trapped in her Ball, she was glad to have been there for the girl she loved. She hissed happily and chased after the Trainer as she set off.

<Heeeeey!> a voice called from the sky. <The rain stopped! You two can come out!>

Amara looked around, trying to discern what the sound was. A Duskull, maybe? But where? How?

<How?!> Jade asked. <We don’t know where we are!>

<You’ve barely moved!> the Duskull shouted. <Look, just follow my voice! I’ll show you how!>

Jade reached a vine up and gently took Amara’s hand, leading her in the direction of their savior. True to his word, nearly two hours of wandering were undone in less than a minute. His red eye could be hazily seen floating in the sky, distinct from the radioactive flashes in the clouds.

“Is that the regular world?” Amara asked, pointing up.

Jade nodded. She was only somewhat sure, but Amara seeing it too was reassuring. If Duskull was to be believed, all that remained was to try to walk to it. Gripping Amara’s hand tighter, Jade took a step.

Amara yelped in surprise as her next footfall touched the uneven stone of the wrecked tower. Elated, she traced her toes along the cracks in the floor. It was manmade, alright. It was imperfect, ruined, and very real. She let out a prolonged sigh of relief, relishing the feeling of actual ground beneath her feet.

“Thanks, little guy,” she told the Duskull that floated near her. “You’re a lifesaver.”

The Pokémon cocked its skull a bit.

“Oh, sorry! Is that offensive to Ghosts?” she asked, wide-eyed. “I just mean you really helped us out!”

Duskull understood that a lot more clearly. He let out a cheerful vocalization, like a gentle whisper on the wind. He was glad the travelers were unharmed.

“Say,” Amara began, producing a PokéBall. “Do any of you guys know the way to Motostoke? I could use a guide, and I have a very weird request.”

* * *

The marble clinked into the neck of the bottle with a clatter and a puff of trapped air. Amara tossed the plastic opener in the trash and took a grateful sip of her soda. Her journey to Motostoke had been easy; she just followed the floating red light of Mumbies’ eye. It had also been long, dragging on far past sunset. A cold, sugary drink was just what the doctor ordered. Or rather, the Nurse.

“Amara Rogue, your Pokémon are all set,” Nurse Joy informed her, setting down all four Balls and a room key on a silver tray. “You said you had other questions?”

“Yeah,” she replied, showing Joy her phone. “Do I need any special certification to use apps like this?”

“Not in Galar,” Joy assured her. “As long as you’re a registered Trainer, it’s fine. Will that be all?”

“Yup, thanks!” Amara said, waving goodbye and collecting the contents of the tray.

Once she was in her room, she sent out everyone. Sulfie immediately claimed one of the fluffy pillows as her own, curling up and snuggling into it. Mumbies floated in the air, just taking in the room.

“You sure you’re ok with this?” Amara asked the Duskull. “I won’t force you if you don’t wanna.”

He nodded. He’d lived for so long by that ruin, and had been more than happy to answer this traveler’s request. It was time for a change.

“If you’re sure. Siri, launch Wonder Trade.”

After a few beeps, the Porygon let her know, “It is ready, Amara.”

Amara had done a good deal of research before downloading this one. Trainers who wished to sign up for this particular app had to be vetted. Normally, a novice like her would have a lot of difficulty signing up, but having _the_ Wicke as a character reference did wonders.

“Thanks again for getting us here, Mumbies,” Amara said, petting him one last time. “I hope your new Trainer loves you as much as you deserve. Have a good life, k?”

<Farewell,> he told the other Pokémon, waving so the human would get it too.

In a flash, he was returned to his Ball and uploaded with Amara's Box Link.

“And now we wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I went to look up how entering and exiting Raid Dens works. I managed to find some odd Crown Tundra spoilers/speculation before I found out that even the manga just kinda glosses over it except to say that they had to beat Gurdurr to leave.
> 
> Wonder Trading is a cool feature with a lot of uncomfortable ethical implications. Amara is very much the sort who would love to try it out and see what she gets, but yanking Pokémon from the wild to be your friend forever and then yeeting them around the world for Youngster Timmy's "amazing" Bidoof feels wrong. (At least they don't have to deal with YouTubers sending out hacked 6 IV shinies.) Even something as simple as looking into the Trainers to make sure they're not being tools to their Pokémon seems like it alleviates a lot of concern, especially since the presence of apps that don't vet their users should dissuade most people from trying to put on a show for the background check.
> 
> Anyways, sorry if this chapter was a bit of a downer for the most part. I promise the next one will be a lot happier and not involve poor Amara dealing with old injuries or having a panic attack.


	6. It's a Boy(s)

**Chapter 6 - It’s a Boy(s)**

* * *

**March 17** **th**

Siri activated abruptly, receiving a ping from the app she’d left open. The trade was complete, awaiting pickup. She lifted herself up, hovering by slowly moving blocky “feet” on either side of the phone screen similarly to how she’d keep herself aloft in analog space. Amara had instructed her to sound off as soon as her new Pokémon had arrived, but looking at her Trainer, Siri decided against it. 

The girl was sprawled face-down across the bed, half under the covers with her left arm hanging limply off the side. Jade was curled up on her back, and both of them slept peacefully. After the Trainer's ordeal the night before, Siri decided that ignoring her command in favor of letting Amara sleep was most beneficial. She hadn’t known Amara as long as Jade had, but she did at least know enough to understand just what the inside of that tower had stirred up in the girl's mind. As long as she wasn’t thrashing or crying out in her slumber, Siri had no desire to interfere with the much-needed rest and peace.

In the meantime, there was no reason to not be productive. Siri interfaced with Amara’s Box Link and accepted the transfer. At her signal, a Moon Ball materialized on the nightstand. The Porygon made sure it was stable and began downloading data about the Ball’s inhabitant. The data was interesting, to say the least. He was a rare Pokémon from a distant region, and was registered as having mastered an impressive suite of attacks. Satisfied that her Trainer would awaken so something interesting, Siri turned to again face the sleeping girl, hovering in silent vigil.

* * *

“I had the weirdest dream,” Amara muttered almost incoherently as she yawned. “I dreamed I got traded a plushie. Not a living plushie like Stufful, but like a regular one. And its name was Fluffernugen and I trained it anyway. Beat the first Gym with it and found out Milo was actually just Sophocles in a muscle suit with a wig.”

Jade had no response. What does one even say to such a thing? She did, however, hastily fetch an energy drink from Amara’s bag in hopes that caffeine would render the girl a bit more coherent.

“Thanks,” she said with a bright smile before taking a grateful swig. “Seriously a bit nervous, though. My biggest fear outside of getting traded a Pokémon that doesn’t want to be with me is getting one whose trainer registered it with a stupid name like ‘Good Kush’ or ‘Aaaaaaaaa’ or something.”

<People do that?> Sulfie asked, stretching on her pillow.

<Yeah,> Jade hissed, glowering. <Disrespectful to the Pokémon and its new Trainer.>

JoJo wondered aloud, <With all the potential pitfalls, why bother?>

Jade scoffed at that. <JoJo, you know her parents. Does it surprise you that she’d gamble to try getting something exotic?>

<Suppose not…>

Amara was most of the way through her beverage before she noticed the Moon Ball. Excitedly, she set the drink down and picked up the sphere.

“Cool! Did this just come in?” she asked Siri.

“It has been here since before you woke up, Amara,” the Porygon informed her. “I felt it prudent to contramand your order and let you sleep.”

“I wanna be mad, but I actually slept like a Snorlax,” she admitted. “So, thanks. C’mere and let me see the name.”

Siri floated to her Trainer’s outstretched hand, bringing up the PokéDex app to show what she had learned.

“Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokémon. Nickname: Gemini. Gender: Male. Type: Normal/Psychic. Ability: Early Bird. Girafarig’s tail contains an ancillary brain. While the tail does not seem to process complex thoughts, it can convey information to the head. The tail does not require sleep, and will watch over Girafarig at night.”

“Cool!” Amara exclaimed, tossing the Moon Ball immediately. “Gemini, come on out!”

The Girafarig lowed as he materialized, a sound oddly similar to a Miltank’s moo, and stretched his neck before focusing on Amara. His tail let out a strange noise, like someone trying to bark through a throat full of burbling phlegm. Amara’s gaze wandered from the head’s placid but vaguely curious eyes to the tail’s razor-sharp teeth, so large they were like interlocking triangles. She would not have suspected the two to be related to one another were they not literally joined at the hip.

“Hey, Gemini,” she said after giving him (them, maybe?) the once-over. “I’m your guys’ new Trainer. My name’s Amara. Nice to meet you!”

Noting that she was reaching gently for him, Gemini lowered his head and happily allowed her to pet him. When she was done, he leaned in and gave her an affectionate lick. Amara was not braced for his enormous, purple tongue.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed, giggling. “Super friendly type, huh?”

Not wanting to be left out, the tail craned towards her hand, demanding immediate attention. Amara began to pet it, nuzzling Gemini’s neck and leaning against his immense frame. He was a bit taller head to hoof than she was, giving the girl plenty of space.

“Oh, when I talk to you, do I say ‘guy’ or ‘guys’?” she asked. “I can’t tell.”

Gemini offered a somewhat confused moo in reply. As far as he understood, she had just asked if she should address him or address him. He pulled back to scrutinize her, each of his heads cocking in a different direction.

“Lemme try again,” she said, realizing her mistake. “Are you one or two Pokémon?”

He got that better, but she was oversimplifying. He did, however, know from experience that explaining himself never translated well. The closest answer he could give that was understandable to non-Girafarig Pokémon was akin to “one and a half”. Since he couldn’t really tell a human that, he nodded with both heads.

“Wait, which is it?”

Nod.

“So, one?”

Nod.

“Or two?”

Nod.

Amara sighed. “Any chance you’ll make more sense after breakfast?”

Gemini went to shake his head, but his tail nodded eagerly, starting to drool a bit. He shot it a dirty look before shaking his head slightly at his new Trainer. Though, in his tail’s defense, food sounded amazing right then.

* * *

Unwilling to spend three whole days in the crowded of metropolis of Motostoke, Amara retreated promptly after breakfast to the relative comfort of the Wild Area. Being surrounded by Pokémon was much more her speed. She’d make it back in time, as long as she didn’t fall into any more pocket dimensions.

Brimming with energy from her pancakes and ill-advised coffee, Amara began to stretch as soon as she was away from the men at Motostoke’s wall. There was a fairly open expanse ahead of her, sloping gently downhill towards the bank of the Motostoke River, and she was eager to check it out.

Setting Siri to play some music, Amara hunkered down to the ground and sang along to the opening lyrics,

“ _ Ready, steady, can’t hold me back, _

_ Ready, steady, give me good luck, _

_ Ready, steady. never look back, _

_ Let’s get started! Ready, steady, go! _ ”

She was off like a shot at the word “go”, Jade hustling beside her. The wind against her face and whipping through her hair felt so liberating, especially after that horrid trapped feeling of yesterday. She could even mostly feel her left arm pumping at her side as she ran. Amara didn’t stop singing, either, letting herself get lost in the wind and the music, heedless of where she ended up as long as it was “forward”.

Jade watched her Trainer with a loving smile. Amara was at her happiest during times like this, when she could just feel free, enjoy a song, and not have to worry about anything. That wild, unrestrained elation was infectious, too. She always felt uncharacteristically giddy being at Amara’s side in this state. Of course, she did have to keep at least half an eye on where they were going, since she knew her Trainer couldn’t be bothered to right then.

_ That’s odd, _ Jade thought as she surveyed their surroundings.  _ Wonder how long it’ll take her to notice. _

Amara finally stopped for breath after the closing bars of “Ready, Steady, Go”. Doubled over, clutching her legs, and panting, she caught something white and fluffy behind her out of the corner of her eye. Rising slowly, she turned to face it.

“Whoa,” she muttered.

Several Pokémon had gathered in her wake. The white fluffy one was a Wooloo, but she could also spot a Patrat, a Pidove, and even a Natu. They didn’t seem at all hostile; they looked curious more than anything. Tentatively, Amara inched over to the Natu and reached out an uncertain hand to pet it. Though Natu were reputed to be extremely skittish, the round bird hopped forward and nuzzled against her hand with a happy chirp.

“Well, this can only mean one thing,” Amara mused aloud.

* * *

The next several hours were spent with all of Amara’s Pokémon out playing with the gang of wild ones that still trailed after them. The group frolicked and chased each other down the hillside, heedless of any other Pokémon that stared as they went by. At one point, Patrat and Natu hopped up on opposite ends of Wooloo, the three of them working in tandem to do their best impression of Gemini.

Gemini decided to amuse them further by showing off his Ally Switch, teleporting himself and random Pokémon into each other’s locations at random intervals. He eventually stopped when he saw that Amara was looking pretty worn out, opting to instead walk over to the girl and kneel down.

<Up,> he offered, gesturing with his head so she could understand.

The group continued at a slower pace, with Amara catching her breath on Gemini’s back. One by one, the wild Pokémon decided to head back to their homes, bidding farewell to Amara and her team. Before long, they were alone again, watching the afternoon sun slowly descend in the sky.

“I wanna camp by the river,” Amara told them, having perked up significantly after being made to rest and drink. “Objections?”

Nobody seemed to take any issue with that, and they began to meander north. Amara no longer needed to be slumped limply on Gemini’s back, but it was too comfortable. Wrapping her arms loosely around his neck, she snuggled against him while he walked.

“Hey, I’m curious,” she said, only half to him. “I wonder if Ally Switch can work on me, too.”

Before the Girafarig could protest, his tail cackled maliciously. He hated its impetuous nature sometimes. Sure enough, it tapped into his psychic energy. The tail wasn’t good or coordinated with it, but Ally Switch was actually simple enough for it to use. In a flash, Amara was now beneath Gemini, and neither was touching the ground. They both collapsed to the ground with a surprised yelp from the girl. Amara had managed to catch herself and mostly land on all fours, which just made things awkward.

Realizing the pose they were in, Amara couldn’t resist wiggling her hips a bit and asking in her best nervous voice, “S-step giraffe, what are you doing?!”

Gemini exclaimed awkwardly and scrambled to get his hooves under him and back off. His obvious flusterartion was met with uproarious laughter from Amara and JoJo, plus a smug smirk from Jade.

Sulfie looked around, confused. <Am I missing a reference here?>

Patting the Stunky with a vine, Jade assured her, <I’ll explain when you’re older.>

* * *

Amara stumbled upon a place she knew would be perfect after taking one look. Down past the bridge, where steam pipes still jutted from the river, there was an outcropping on the far bank. It was a small grassy shelf on an otherwise treacherous cliffside, flat ground adorned with a single broad-trunked Berry tree and a huge flat rock.

She gave herself a moment to take it all in. River water had a slight odor to it that accompanied the pleasant burbling, but here it was masked by the many other scents. There was a metallic tang to the steam that escaped the rickety pipes, a heavy earthen smell from the tall banks of packed clay mud, and something almost sickly sweet in the air. Looking around, Amara traced the aroma back to a small cluster of Berry Trees and shrubs growing along the sheer rock; the fruits had fermented somewhat since none could readily harvest them.

Most people wouldn’t see the charm in this, Amara figured. The pipes were noisy, the air smelled strange, and the place she was eyeballing would be hard to access. That just made it perfect. Her father, and to a lesser extent her mother, had always taught her the value of things regular people would overlook. There is a charm to most things, they said, and regular people miss it a lot.

With her mind made up, Amara turned her attention to the more practical end of this: how to get there. The pipes were spaced such that she could cross, but some ran hot. She scanned for any sign of where they led and found none. Perhaps an abandoned project, but that didn’t explain the ones actually generating steam. Shaking her head, she studied which of the pipes had cloudy wisps escaping them.

Wiggling her toes on the damp grass, she steeled herself. “Here goes nothing!”

Deftly, she hopped from pipe to pipe, not letting herself stop for fear she’d slip. Jade hissed in alarm and took off after Amara, ready to catch her if she fell into the water below. Sulfie was next, scuttling along the safe pipes with surprising dexterity. JoJo waited for there to be space and leapt. He managed to hop across three of the steaming pipes before his rotund body tumbled off the edge.

Reaching the opposite side, Amara turned quickly to see what JoJo had yelled about. She was somewhat surprised to see the Darumaka floating in the air with a faint magenta aura surrounding him.

Not waiting to ask questions, Jade offered a vine for him to pull himself ashore. As soon as land was safely under him, the glow faded and JoJo dropped onto the grass. Gemini let out a prolonged sigh of relief; holding Telekinesis was not his forte.

As he caught his breath, the Girafarig tried to decide who to Ally Switch with to make it across. He felt silly when Amara just recalled him and sent him back out.

Once her team was secure, Amara took a moment to survey the area. “I like it. Let’s make camp!”

Amara offered token protest when JoJo walked off with the tent and began to pitch it himself. She told herself she could have done it, but she was really grateful to not have to strain her arms any. Jade was drawing water from the river with Gemini’s help, filling a couple basins in the river and letting the Girafarig pull them up with Telekinesis. He seemed like he’d be a great friend to have.

Throughout the evening, Amara caught herself stealing glances at her new Pokémon. She was pretty enamored with how nice and helpful he was, and his tail’s apparent sense of humor was at least amusing in small doses. But physically, he had really caught her eye. He was powerfully muscled beneath his short fur, and she found herself pensively biting her lip while she watched said muscles flex as he leaned up and harvested Berries from the campsite's tree.

Her observation did not go unnoticed by Gemini’s tail. Whether it told the head anything or not was unclear, but it sometimes caught the Trainer staring and flashed a knowing smile. Those sharp, terrifying teeth gave her a bit of a thrill. Combined with the tantalizing thought of how enormous and thick his cock must be (she suspected him to be hung like a Rapidash), Amara made up her mind in short order.

_ No backing down, _ she chided herself.  _ Ask him tonight. _

* * *

After dinner had been cleaned up, Amara sat with her Pokémon by the campfire. She had fallen silent for several minutes, trying to gather the nerve for this. All eyes were on her when she stood up, unclipping Gemini’s Moon Ball from her belt.

Setting it down in front of him and backing away, she started trying to explain herself, “Hey, so. I wanna talk to you. I don’t want it to be a secret from anyone, but I can’t really say ‘don’t freak out’ while I’m holding that.”

Gemini replied with one confused moo, and his tail was oddly silent, eyes gleaming in the orange glow of the fire. Jade steeled herself for this. Amara had actually spoken to her about it before they left home, saying that she wanted to explore herself with other Pokémon on their journey. It wasn’t like Jade coveted Amara all to herself, really, but knowing that she’d be privy to this sort of thing without really partaking stung. Even so, she had given the girl her blessing, hoping that Amara would finally be comfortable enough with herself to accept Jade’s feelings.

“Look, if this freaks you out, then I’ll drop it. If you wanna bolt, I won’t stop you,” Amara continued, unable to face Gemini during that last sentence. “Thing is… Do you know what a Poképhile is?”

Gemini had never heard it, but he was pretty sure he knew. Wanting to be sure, he shook his head once.

“They’re…  _ We _ ’re humans who enjoy sex with Pokémon,” she explained. Even though her voice was soft, the weight of her words seemed to drown out the crackling logs of the fire. “And I’m not really experienced, but I want to be. And…” she trailed off one last time as she forced herself to meet her Pokémon’s gaze. “And I want you, if you’ll have me.”

Oddly, Sulfie was the first to react. This didn’t concern her one way or the other, and she was tired. Yawning, she curled up by the fire to sleep. Jade, of course, feigned disinterest in the whole affair, but kept one eye firmly on Amara.

Finally, Gemini stepped forward, kicking his Ball back to Amara. Gratefully, she put it back on her belt, then squeaked in alarm as Gemini’s snout was forcefully nudged between her legs.

“Gah! Wait, is that a yes or a no?”

Her answer came in the form of his tail biting the bottom of her shirt and trying to lift it off of her. Giggling, she gently pried the jaws open and removed the fabric before it got torn.

“You’ll have to bear with me, k~?” she asked, her tone melodic and playful. “Stripping takes me a bit.”

He responded with another playful headbutt to her crotch. The initial impact was fairly uncomfortable, but the feeling as his snout dragged slowly out from between her legs made Amara shudder.

With a little help from both of Gemini’s heads, Amara freed herself from her shirt, opting to leave the brace on this time. He eyed her sports bra curiously, unsure what it was for. His eyes widened as Amara freed her small breasts from the confines of the fabric, sliding the garment down one arm and handing it off to Gemini’s tail to toss with the shirt.

As soon as he was able, Gemini leaned in to give one of Amara’s nipples an affectionate lick. He was rewarded with a low, sultry moan and decided to sample the other one. Amara shuddered as she undid her belt, not bothering with removing it from her jeans. She whined slightly as Gemini’s tongue left her, but soon found his tail sniffing at her chest.

“Watch the teeth,” she warned. “At least for now.”

With a happy growl, the tail opened its maw wide and snaked out its own tongue, lapping eagerly at his Trainer’s boobs. When she had to bend over to pull her pants down, the tail switched to licking her neck, “accidentally” letting his teeth brush her skin. It was quite proud of itself when this made her shiver.

“Hot as that is, not this time,” she told him, straightening back up.

She was now naked except for her brace and wraps. As Gemini trotted around to give the girl a once-over (maybe a twice-over, given the tail), she haphazardly kicked her jeans and boxers in the direction of her other clothes. Satisfied with his inspection, Gemini gently headbutted her now bare sex, eliciting a startled cry that gave way to a shuddering moan as his cold nose pressed against her clit.

“Why do you even do that?” Amara demanded, trying not to laugh. Trying to get him to stop, she urged him, “C’mon, I showed you mine, lemme see what we’re working with.”

Dropping to her knees, Amara set to work gently stroking Gemini’s sheath and balls. She was nervous, but giddy nervous. Never had she dreamed that her first would actually be a horsecock. As Gemini’s dick began to emerge, Amara stared at it in confusion.

“Wait, what?” she muttered, even as she teased it with a fingertip.

Gemini let out a sad and embarrassed sound. That wasn’t the reaction he’d wanted at all.

“Sorry!” Amara called from under him. “It’s just not at all like I expected. I’ve never seen anything like it!” Gemini hung his head in shame until she added, “This is so cool!”

Gemini’s penis was about 8 inches long, and generally not much thicker than a human’s. Weirdly, it tapered off before abruptly flaring into a bulbous head that almost seemed to point downward. A strangely thin protrusion maybe a half inch long pointed out from the bottom of the head. Amara leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his glans as her fingers roamed the tapered shaft.

“Geez, there is no way I can suck you off without a lot of practice,” she lamented. “And with my arms, I can’t do much more than tease. Oh! I know! Jade, can you get me a washcloth and a blanket?”

The Servine was startled to hear her name; she hadn’t expected to be even remotely involved in this. She hopped up and ran to Amara’s bag, grabbing a ball she knew to contain a picnic blanket and a small cloth. After wetting it, she ran over to her Trainer, handing the items over and quickly retreating.

“Thanks!” Amara said as she sent out the blanket to cover the large rock nearby. “C’mere, boy. Boys? Whatever, just get over here!”

Gemini trotted over as Amara sat on the blanket, slowly unbinding her feet. He knew where this was going as soon as she began to run the washcloth over her bare soles, gasping softly at the coolness of the water against her. Satisfied with her cleaning job, she layed back on the blanket, admiring Gemini in the dancing light of the flame. With no moon to be seen, his back and tail were largely cast in shadow as he slowly approached her.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said, tentatively. “I think it’ll be a lot better than my hands.”

Looking at the human girl spread out invitingly before him, beckoning him closer, Gemini most certainly did not mind. She could touch him however she felt like and he’d be happy. Eagerly, he walked over and stood between her dangling legs, lowing softly as her toes grazed him for the first time.

Amara quickly realized that Gemini’s cockhead was too thick to get two toes around, so she instead grasped his shaft that way with her right foot, gently stroking back and forth. Gingerly, she teased at his head with the ball of her left foot, sometimes using her right to drag it along the length of her sole, and occasionally caressing the top of it with her toes. She suspected he was enjoying her ministrations, considering that both of Gemini’s heads were moaning appreciatively.

Not content to just vocalize, Gemini leaned in and began to affectionately lap at Amara’s face and neck. She crooned softly every time his tongue brushed against a sensitive spot, wrapping one arm around his neck to pet him.

“Good boy,” she whispered breathlessly. “I guess you like my slutty feet on your throbbing hard cock, huh?”

Jade perked up a bit hearing that. She’d only ever heard her Trainer talk like that when she was really worked up. Listening in on Amara masturbating had been a guilty pleasure of hers for years. She eventually gave up on trying to convince herself it was a sometimes thing when she realized she had learned Amara’s rough schedule for such activities. It was actually almost disconcerting how much more vocal and obscene Amara became as her arousal brimmed over like this.

“Gods, I am drenched,” Amara commented as she teased at her labia with two fingers. “I guess I can’t wait.” She grasped Gemini’s cock firmly between her arches, gliding her feet over the slippery organ as she told him, “This monster is the first cock I’ll ever have in me, you know. Never even owned a toy.”

At that, the Girafarig softly cried out in pleasure, thrusting his length desperately between his Trainer’s feet. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so turned on.

“Not so fast,” she chided. “Can’t have you waste your load on my soles, big guy. How about you put that tongue to use getting me ready so you can blow it where it belongs?”

Despite the bravado that went along with her lascivious words, Amara’s heart was pounding and her stomach was doing flip-flops. She was nervous as could be over this. She wanted it, for sure, but this was still all new and she was having a very hard time relaxing the way she wanted.

A long purple tongue along her wet slit broke her out of her timid thoughts. This was only her second time receiving oral, and they were almost nothing alike. Jade’s tongue was tiny and dextrous, coming and going quickly with two teasing points of contact. Gemini’s, on the other hand, covered her sex with ease. A few of his licks nearly brushed her anus just because of how large his tongue was. If she felt really kinky, she could probably get herself off just by him letting it loll out while she ground on it. For the time being, she was content to wrap her legs around his neck and let the giraffe Pokémon work his magic.

Her cries jumped up in pitch and frequency when Gemini began to penetrate her with his tongue, wriggling it as he slowly worked it in deeper. Amara’s nervousness was fading, as was her ability to speak coherently. There was no room for it in the face of this bliss. Her orgasm was on her almost before she realized it was building; Gemini sent her careening over the edge by affectionately nuzzling her swollen clit.

Amara’s body felt like spaghetti in the best way possible as she tried to catch her breath. She was utterly limp, which was fine as she had no desire to move. Any trepidation she’d had over this seemed a distant memory. All that remained were excitement and curiosity, the latter of which was finally a good enough motivator to foster movement.

“Holy fuck,” she managed to say at last. “I haven’t cum like that in a few years.”

Jade hunkered down to hide her blush. She had fond memories of rendering the girl nearly catatonic on the night they shared, and hearing it referenced even obliquely had her flustered.

With a grin that could only be described as sex-drunk, Amara teased, “Maybe you can do that for cleanup after the main event.”

It took several minutes and what felt like a disproportionate amount of effort for Amara to flip herself over on the blanket. It was a few more before her legs were willing to support her any. After much grunting and adjusting, the girl was presenting herself to her Pokémon, looking over her shoulder at him as best she could from her face-down position.

“You ready, Gemini?” she asked, wagging her butt at him both to entice and to make extra sure her knees weren’t about to buckle out from under her. “Take me.”

The Psychic-type needed no further prompting. He was sincerely amazed he’d managed to hold off on mounting the girl this long. Amara shuddered with anticipation as she saw hooves planted at either side of her head. She could feel the skinny tip of Gemini’s cock teasing against her nether lips briefly. Before she could offer to help guide him in, the head was pressing directly against her entrance.

_ Bet that Tutor never thought of this use for Telekinesis, _ Gemini thought as he gently thrust himself forward.

The head of his cock disappeared into Amara’s tight pussy with a small pop and a long, low cry of ecstasy from the girl. He also lowed softly as he felt her constrict around the rest of his shaft.

“It feels even bigger than I expected,” she cooed. “You’re stuffing me so full. Do you like how tight I am around your cock?”

With a grunt of assent, Gemini thrust himself the rest of the way in. Unwilling to be patient any longer, he rutted his Trainer with reckless abandon. If her vocalizations were any indication, she had no objection to this.

“Yes! Use my slutty little cunt! Fill me up!”

The campsite echoed with the wet slapping sound of Gemini pounding Amara. Unable to resist, Jade slowly teased herself with a vine as she watched. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it was just so hot watching her Trainer get fucked like that. There was no harm in enjoying herself, right?

The blanket bunched up in Amara’s clutching grasp as she got pounded. She had not expected to spend her night this way when she awoke, but now was having trouble imagining spending her nights any other way. She’d read smut before about young female Trainers who get addicted to cock and drop out of society to be sex slaves to a Pokémon or a pack. Amara had always thought them hot, but ridiculous. Now, though, at least the addiction part made a modicum of sense.

That thought was the last coherent one she had before she spasmed around Gemini with her second climax. Her cries of release, all but shrieks at this point, echoed off the cliff face. Gemini’s tail howled as he came inside his Trainer’s pulsating cunt. Amara moaned incoherently when she felt the spurts of warmth inside of her. Feeling the volume, she was so glad Pokémon couldn’t get humans pregnant.

She shuddered as Gemini stepped back. Even while his member was slowly deflating, the head still stretched her open as he pulled out. Just as she was finally catching her breath, something warm and wet snaked inside her.

“F-fuck!” she cried softly. Her next words were completely indecipherable, though she had been trying to say, “I didn’t think you’d actually do it!”

Once he was satisfied that he’d lapped up all of his cum, Gemini withdrew his tongue from inside Amara. Somewhere along the line, his licks had brought her to a third, smaller orgasm, almost like aftershocks from the second. Spent, he knelt down on the ground, resting his head on the blanket next to Amara’s quivering form.

“That was amazing,” she whispered after taking several minutes to compose herself. “Was it good for you?”

Gemini nodded weakly.

“I hope you get horny easily, ‘cuz I wanna make a habit of this.”

He mooed softly in assent. He certainly lacked the stamina to do this every night, but there was no way he’d say no to this becoming a regular thing.

Knowing there was no way she was going to herd Amara into the tent, Jade motioned to JoJo. The two of them fetched her comforter and got it more or less in place over Amara and Gemini. Jade opted to curl up beneath it with Amara right away, while JoJo sat and watched the fire burn to its last ember.

Soon, under the moonless sky, surrounded by the gentle rattle and hiss of the steam pipes, most everyone drifted into a peaceful slumber. Gemini’s tail, ever vigilant, stared at the dim stars between bouts of looking around the campsite. It was a new sky, with new stars, so the tail curiously regarded the black expanse to see if it would yield to dawn like the old one always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, funny story here. Amara's team selection when I was creating her had nothing to do with sex. It was just what Pokémon felt right for her personality and story. When I realized she was a Poképhile, and that she'd probably have a dysfunctional relationship with Jade, I wondered who she'd go to to satisfy her urges. Gemini seemed like a fine answer. At the time I, like Amara, assumed that giraffes were just funny-shaped horses anatomically.
> 
> Nope.
> 
> On top of their weird penis shape, giraffes have this habit of checking to see if females are in estrus by headbutting them in the vagina until they pee, and judging based on the urine. To round out the weirdness, apparently the whole of the species are three-pump chumps. I wasn't in any mood to write watersports, but since Girafarig is intelligent enough to determine a female's willingness by other means, the headbutting stays as just a weird courtship ritual. It's something he enjoys doing, as it can yield a visceral indicator of willingness, and it's just kind of an established part of his routine. On the other front, I plead artistic liberty. I don't think anyone will be mad at me for that.
> 
> I think with this I am the only source of anatomically accurate giraffe footjobs on the Internet. I...don't know if I am proud of this fact.
> 
> For those of you wondering if Amara's dream means anything, that awful name popped into my head while I considered the possibility of her Girafarig having a bad nickname that he was used to. I declined as I refuse to have anything be named Fluffernugen, but the in joke was too strong to fade entirely.
> 
> And while I'm not saying Milo's creepy-ass disproportionate body is canonically because he's Sophocles in a muscle suit, I am obligated to point out that Milo and Sophocles are never on screen at the same time. Coincidence?


	7. Roundabout

**Chapter 7 - Roundabout**

* * *

**March 18** **th**

Amara was the first to wake, stirred from sleep by the awestruck mumblings of Gemini’s tail. With a soft groan, she crawled out from under the blanket and sat beside her Pokémon, resting against his half-covered rear flank. Sunrise had begun to dye the sky above in soft blues and glowing yellows, though some of the color was blotted out by the hills encapsulating Giant’s Seat. Soon, the light of dawn spilled over the terrain, slowly banishing the shadows of the night. The tail leaned affectionately against Amara’s head while the two of them watched in reverent awe.

“You know, this is only the second sunrise I’ve ever seen,” she commented, unsure if the tail understood or cared. “Dad had me stay up to watch one when I left the house.”

The procession of light was soon upon them, rousing Jade. Yawning, she noticed immediately that Amara wasn’t beside her, and quickly scanned the area for the girl. She smiled at the sight of Amara, still naked, cuddling with a semi-sentient tail while they watched the sky together, not a care in the world. It was so her. One of the things that made Jade fall in love with her Trainer in the first place was just that simple vivacious charm that permeated even quiet moments like this.

Stretching, the Servine wandered over to Amara and gently nuzzled her side. Amara smiled warmly and petted her head. Jade hissed happily, making her way around and flopping down, resting her head in Amara’s lap and sprawling so her tail leaves could bask in the sun. Ironically, for as much as she’d lusted after the girl, Jade felt nothing sexual in that moment, even lazing against her nude body. All she felt was a warm, loving contentment spreading through her as she leaned into Amara’s touch.

Eventually, Gemini’s head stirred awake. He didn’t move right away; his tail warned him even before he noticed where Amara was. After a minute or two, though, he mooed softly, hoping to alert the Trainer to his need to stretch.

Amara leaned back on the rock as Gemini slowly strode around, bending his neck to and fro to work out the kinks. She was amused to note his tail mimicking the gesture, and wondered if he could pop his tail like one would their neck. Her thoughts wandered to just how alive the tail was, and whether or not she should let it play a more active role in the future. The thoughts of the previous evening brought a slight blush to her cheeks.

“So, I’ll be honest, I kinda expected to wake up to a plate full of regretti,” she admitted. “But other than being a bit sore down there, I don’t feel the least bit bad about last night. You?”

Gemini lowed softly and shook his heads. It had been sudden and impulsive, sure, but nothing about it felt wrong in retrospect. He had worried briefly that his entire relationship with Amara would start to revolve around their continued couplings, but those fears were assuaged when he saw her just watching the sunrise with his tail. That was a type of intimate only good friends shared, he felt.

“Okay, lemme get dressed and do breakfast,” Amara declared, slowly rising to her feet. Taking an empty PokéBall from her bag, she added, “And I am catching that rock. I feel like it’ll come in handy in the future.”

* * *

Amara was quickly learning that she had a much easier time interacting with people in battles. Not only was there a Pokémon buffer, but her habit of masking her nervousness with a half-smirk grin and a brash fire in her eyes was far more natural on a battlefield. Plus, she was learning a lot. For example, the guy she was fighting cared a lot about his Rookidee.

“Watch out!” he yelled. “You can’t take another Stomp like that! Get back and Sand Attack!”

Gemini lowed in annoyance as another jet of grit stung his poor eyes. His tail had also gotten a faceful, and he was going to need to dunk both heads in a lake after this treatment.

“Not bad, but I’ve got a cool trick to show you,” Amara said, pointing up to the sky. “Gemini, Telekinesis!”

Rookidee was plucked from the ground mid wingbeat, its spray of sand veering harmlessly to the side. Desperately, it tried to break free of the magenta energy pinning it in the air, but to no avail. Its wings were too weak.

“Finish it with Psybeam!” Amara ordered with a dramatic flourish.

With a flash of energy resembling a stream of iridescent rings, Gemini flawlessly knocked out the hapless bird. He was going to put it down gently, but his tail was too annoyed at the Sand Attacks; the unconscious Rookidee was unceremoniously dropped on the ground.

“You’re merciless, lady!” whined the Youngster as he handed Amara prize money.

“Look at it this way. If I don’t treat you like you’re worth fighting for real, it’s disrespectful to everyone here, right?” she pointed out, stuffing the money into the billfold on Siri’s case.

“I guess,” he conceded, still looking unconvinced.

* * *

Later that night, after a much-needed dunk in Lake Miloch and a couple plates of curry, Gemini lounged by the campfire to finish drying off. Amara sat on the rock she’d caught near her tent. Sulfie had curled up in her lap, cuddling against the Trainer’s exposed belly while Amara brushed her.

Per usual, Amara had been singing softly to fill the relative silence,

“ _ When destiny calls you, you must be strong, _

_ I may not be with you, but you’ve got to hold on, _

_ They’ll see in time, I know, _

_ We’ll show them together ‘cause, _

_ You’ll be in my heart… _ ”

Jade basked in the heat of the fire, alongside Gemini. As much as she’d been enjoying just listening to her Trainer’s voice, she needed somewhat desperately to talk to her new teammate.

She decided to lead with, <Good job out there today. Those psychic powers of yours sure are something.>

Nodding appreciatively, Gemini replied, <Thanks. Didn’t see you fight today. Do you not battle?>

<Nothing warranted me,> she scoffed. <You’ll see someday.>

<Right,> the Girafarig sighed, rolling his eyes.

<Do you wanna go?> Jade challenged, her eyes seeming to glow red.

<Hard pass. I’m oddly sleepy for some reason.>

<Wear yourself out last night?> she teased.

<No more than you did with your vines,> he retorted without missing a beat. <Wasn’t lost on me.>

<Y-you saw?!> Jade asked, mortified.

Pointedly, Gemini told her, <If you’d paid any attention to me instead of Amara, you would have known I did.>

<Guilty,> Jade confessed. <I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. Maybe you can solve a problem.>

<What’s up?> he inquired, finally lifting his head.

<My relationship with Amara is…complicated,> she explained, choosing her concepts carefully.

<Not as “complicated” as you’d like?> he interjected, clearly having none of her euphemisms.

<Again, guilty,> she admitted. <Being able to talk to her would be a good start.>

<It would, huh? Wish I could help,> he lamented.

<Don’t you Psychic-types have telepathy?> Jade demanded, annoyed more at the Universe than him.

<I do, but only to get info from my tail or to mess with dreams.>

Jade brightened. <Mess how, exactly?>

<View, share, eat, maybe lay a suggestion,> Gemini explained. <Nothing as detailed as a message, and there’s no guarantee she’d take it as anything more than a dream. You’re better off asking the phone.>

<Not really,> the Servine hissed. <Siri doesn’t understand Pokémon.>

<How’s that work?> he inquired.

<She was born and raised for use in the phone. Colress brought her up to get human language to see if he could. But humans talk so differently from how we communicate, she never learned to understand like we do.>

Now Gemini was really curious. <What’s a Colress?>

Jade’s reply was interrupted by a startled moo from Gemini as Amara touched his shoulder.

“Hey buddy. Not to be alarmist, but,” she started, pointing at his tail. “Are you ok? I thought that didn’t happen.”

Following his Trainer’s outstretched finger, Gemini did a slight double take. For the first time in his life, his tail was asleep, hanging limp and dozing soundly. That explained that strange grogginess he’d felt; he was literally half-asleep! After confirming that his tail was alive, he nodded to the girl, grateful for her concern.

“Wonder how the heck that happened,” Amara thought aloud. “Was the PokéDex wrong about it not sleeping?”

Gemini shook his head. This was definitely new.

“Huh. Weird.”

* * *

**March 19** **th**

Amara wasn’t sure why she felt like dressing up a bit that day, but she was in the girliest outfit she owned. She had a loose-fitting sunflower yellow top with cute frills along the edges. It didn’t tuck neatly into her brace, but she did at least have a yellow brace with leaf print to go with it. The neckline of her shirt dipped down a bit. If she had any cleavage to speak of, it would have offered a tantalizing peek, but as it was it just exposed the pendant she normally tucked out of sight. Snazzy leaf green jeans and foot wraps completed the ensemble. The outfit was so vibrant that Amara had actually attracted the attention of some local Butterfree and Mothim. Jade’s reaction to it was strong enough to draw in the local Cutiefly.

She spent the morning enjoying a leisurely hike through Giant’s Seat and towards Lake Axewell. The assorted Bug-types that had been watching her scattered after a Machoke charged Amara and got Dragon Tailed into the water of Lake Miloch by Jade. She considered paralyzing it with Glare so it couldn’t swim to shore, but decided that would make Amara feel bad.

A Trainer blocked their path as the pair trekked up a long, sloping trail. She was dressed in green outdoor gear and clearly itching for a fight. She was at least friendly about it, waving excitedly as Amara drew near.

She issued her challenge in a charming Galarian accent, “Let’s you and me have a battle, aye? Best of three!”

“Sure,” Amara agreed. “Isn’t that just first to two knockouts, though?”

“Not quite,” the picnicker clarified. “It’s bad for Trainers to be out in the Wild Area with all their Pokémon knocked out, right? So we can do matches as a series of one-on-ones so we’re sure to have healthy Pokémon if things get rough!”

“Fun and practical,” Amara responded with an approving nod. “I like it. Gemini, go!”

“Well, that’s a new one,” the Trainer said, backing off a step while she took in the weirdness of Girafarig. “Go, Dottler!”

The battle was delayed briefly by a squee from Amara as she stared at the adorable bug’s lights cascading slowly to the top of its round body. Its glassy eyes regarded the girl and her strange Pokémon curiously from beneath its protective shell. Clearly the opposing Trainer’s head wasn’t in the game yet. Amara took a moment to regain her composure; she figured neither Dottler or her arm would appreciate it if she suddenly glomped the little Pokémon.

“First time seeing one in person?” Dottler’s Trainer asked. “Not from around here, are you?”

“Sinnoh,” Amara lied automatically, returning focus to the matter at hand. With a nod of readiness to the other Trainer, she issued the first order. “Gemini, Stomp!”

“Dottler, Reflect! Counter with Struggle Bug!”

Gemini recoiled as his hoof slammed into a wall of light. As he staggered buzzing green tendrils of energy swarmed out from Dottler, biting into his hide and leaving horrid itching welts. He shook his head, trying to regain some semblance of focus.

“Gemini! Hang in there, buddy! Try Telekinesis and charge in!”

“Reflect again!” the other Trainer countered.

Dottler was lifted off the ground just fine by Gemini’s waning psychic power, but that didn’t stop it from placing another barrier a short distance in front of itself.

_ This is going to suck, _ Gemini thought to himself as he pivoted to let his flank go careening into the obstacle.

Dottler thought the Girafarig had just tried and failed to stop, snickering to itself as the larger Pokémon’s side crashed harmlessly into Reflect. It was not expecting the tail head to dart around the barrier and latch on with its teeth.

While there was an order to fend it off with Struggle Bug, Dottler was too startled by the sudden Bite attack to comply. Gemini righted himself, dragging Dottler out from behind its makeshift shield. With one decisive order from his Trainer, his tail flipped the Bug-type up into the air and bit down again as it fell. The little round head made a crude “patooie” sound as it spit Dottler to the ground.

“Yikes,” the picnicker commented as she hastily recalled her Pokémon. “That tail is no joke. Didn’t realize it was for more than just show!”

Amara nodded as she searched her first aid kit for itch relief wipes. “Yeah, it’s got its own brain and everything.”

“Where’d you catch him? That’s cool!”

“Wonder Trade,” she explained with an apologetic shrug, wiping down as many of the Struggle Bug cuts as she could. “Can’t help, I’m afraid.”

“Lucky pull, then. Congrats. Anyway, you got the knockout, so you pick first this round.”

Amara perked at this, motioning Gemini to sit on the grass while the medicine worked. “O-ho, so there’s a handicap for pulling ahead, aye? Well, Jade, how about it?”

The Servine darted in front of Amara with a loud hiss, eager to show off for both the newbie and her crush.

“Well, let’s see how you handle my strongest. Caught him in a Raid. Go, Throh!”

The red oni Pokémon took a wide stance, tightening the black vine belt he wore. He loomed over Jade, but she didn’t flinch. She knew what Amara had planned from the getgo. She took her own stance, turning slightly and guarding her flank with her tail in front of her. This would be just like they used to practice.

“Storm Throw!” the picnicker ordered.

Throh lunged, oblivious to the shimmering barrier that went up behind him. He was faster than his bulk indicated, closing the gap in seconds and reaching his powerfully muscled arms to wring the life out of the tiny grass snake. In no mood to be touched, Jade uncoiled.

Dragon Tail struck Throh in the gut, flinging him back and into the Reflect Jade had placed behind him. With a flourish of her tail’s fan, Jade chased him with a Leaf Tornado, keeping him off the ground for another moment and buffeting him against the Reflect. Throh landed, covered in tiny cuts and tears in his gi, and looking not at all amused.

“Brick Break!” his Trainer ordered, knowing Amara’s next move from her Dottler’s strategies.

Sure enough, Throh wound up and chopped clean through the light wall Jade placed in front of him. The follow-through blew a small hole in the ground, but also left him open.

“Jade, Leaf Storm!” Amara called, mostly for effect; Jade was already on it.

With a twirl and a flick of her tail, Jade conjured a gale of wind, carrying myriad glowing green leaves. Throh lurched back as the first few bit into him, exposing his center of mass to the brunt of the attack. Steeling himself, he forced himself to plant a foot and try to push through, but the cuts were just too much to bear. With a defeated gasp, he collapsed face-down on the grass surrounded by droplets of blood.

<Holy Ho-oh,> Gemini muttered. <You weren’t kidding.>

With a smirk to match her Trainer’s, Jade boasted, <I’ve been at her side for nine years. Not even JoJo can keep up with me.>

* * *

The team enjoyed a late lunch in the Rolling Fields, overlooking the Giant’s Seat where they had just hiked from. It was a picturesque view, with azure lake water leading up to the towering stone that dominated the whole area.

“You think the right word for that is an ‘obelisk’?” Amara asked Siri. “It looks natural, so I’m not sure.”

“An obelisk is defined as having a rectangular cross section and a pyramidic top,” the Porygon explained after a cursory search. “Thus making its use here metaphor at best.”

“So, what do I call it?”

“A large rock, Amara,” Siri declared flatly.

<Still weird to me that I can understand her and she can’t understand us,> Gemini commented between bites from the tree he was grazing on.

<How is that weirder than humans?> JoJo asked, polishing off his sandwich.

<Touché,> the Psychic-type ceded. <We’re an odd bunch, huh?>

<If you wanted a boring trip with the same old Skwovet and Pidove, you shoulda stayed home,> Sulfie chastised flippantly.

<Hey!> Jade scolded. <We don’t know that he had a choice! That’s rude.>

Sulfie’s tail drooped a bit. <Yeah, sorry. Didn’t mean it.>

<It’s fine. I wanted to go. My Trainer bred up a few of us and helped us learn all sorts of cool moves so he could send us off to see the world,> Gemini said, wistfully. <But, I appreciate the apology all the same.>

Amara took a prolonged sip of her Bluk Berry sports drink while she soaked in the view. She could see Motostoke faintly in the distance, too. It was hard to believe she had just been there two days prior. 

The thought bothered her,  _ Motostoke… Days…  _ Snapping her head to face her phone, Amara demanded, “Siri, what day is it?!”

“March 19 th , 2018. It is 3:47 pm,” the Porygon informed her cheerfully.

“Heck!”

* * *

The Watt Trader had seen many things working his post outside the train station, but never before had he seen a tiny freckled girl riding a Girafarig like her life depended on it, frantically cursing to herself as she went.

“Crap crap crap!” Amara yelled as she blew by.

In what should not reasonably have been one motion, when Gemini was at the open door, she leapt off, half flying and half stumbling to the counter as she pointed the Moon Ball behind her to recall the Girafarig.

“Did… Am I in time?” she huffed. “For the last train to Motostoke?”

“Barely,” the attendant said, punching keys on his terminal as fast as he could manage. “Better hustle.”

Once she had slapped some bills on the counter, Amara barrelled through the nearly empty station with her ticket in hand. 

She was barely in sight of the station employee when he called, “All aboard!”

In a near panic, Amara closed the gap, fumbling her ticket as she skidded to a stop in front of the unamused man. Deftly, she nudged the scrap of paper against one foot with the other so she could pick it up between her toes. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she held out her foot to the man so he could take her ticket. His glower deepened.

“Heh, sorry,” she said weakly, taking the slip in her fingers and presenting it properly.

Sighing, he checked her ticket and gruffly told her, “Come aboard.”

Amara collapsed into the first seat that looked comfy and sent Jade back out. She was somewhere between gasping for breath and giggling as the train departed.

“How do people do this schedule thing?” she said at last. “It sucks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many things to mention here.
> 
> Let's start with the year. 2018 is before Sw/Sh came out, and this is 3 years after it. The reason for this is that I traced the timeline as best one can, with Red/Blue happening in the fall of 1998. The Pokémon timeline is a bit FUBAR in places, with unspecified gaps between G/S/D/P/Pt and B/W (I went with the average estimate of 7 years) and another unspecified gap between S/M and Sw/Sh (I did 3 years). Also, did not know until I was researching that BW2 and X/Y happen at the same time. The more you know.
> 
> I mentioned in my other fic the difference between Pokémon and human communication. For those who do not know, watch Detective Pikachu. They explained it perfectly.
> 
> Periodically, I will have Pokémon call out legendaries as their version of "Oh my god". I assume they know of these extremely powerful ancient Pokémon through a combination of human exposure and oral tradition. Most of them default to a legendary that they feel is topical or that they feel "resonates" well with them, for a lack of a better word. This oddly means very few Pokémon call out Arceus or the Tapu. And some Pokémon call out ridiculous non-legend things, like a Meowth in my other fic who says "Holy fish!" Because, you know, is cat.
> 
> Honestly, I cannot say with confidence whether the "best of x" match format stems from in-canon practicality or from me trying to keep my scenes somewhat contained. It first showed up in what will become a future chapter so I could have each of Amara's main 6 fight their personal rivals on another character's team, but was cited as being done so Amara could keep journeying that day. It also means I have to use more Pokémon and not just let Jade win at everything forever. I hope it keeps battles in the Wild Area fresh and interesting for you readers.
> 
> And lastly, yes, Amara's "girliest" outfit is a cute frilly top with skinny jeans and no shoes. I cannot for the life of me picture her in a skirt, let alone a dress, a bikini, or sexy lingerie. Also, to be perfectly clear, there's nothing wrong with that; the gender stratification of clothes is fairly arbitrary. The narration tends to reflect the impressions of whoever's in focus, and Amara thinks of outfits like that as "girly" and, more importantly, impractical.


	8. Beginnings

**Chapter 8 - Beginnings**

* * *

“Miss, are you alright?” asked the concerned woman behind the terminal.

Doubled over to catch her breath, Amara flashed a weak thumbs-up.

“D-did you run here from the train station?!” the receptionist realized aloud moreso than asked. “We don’t close for another 2 hours!”

Amara groaned in frustration. “Well, at least I got my exercise for the day.”

“I assume by your hurry you want to register for the Gym Challenge?” the receptionist asked cheerfully, trying to make the Trainer feel less silly.

“Y-yeah,” Amara replied, straightening up.

“I need your phone and your letter of recommendation,” the woman informed her, typing away at her keyboard.

“Siri,” Amara commanded simply, gesturing towards the counter. “One sec on the letter.”

It didn’t seem odd at all to the receptionist that Amara had to look in her bag to find the letter. She was not, however, expecting a PokéBall to hit her counter and send out an envelope.

“A little old school,” she commented, picking up the envelope and arching an eyebrow at Amara.

“I’ve got a bad arm,” Amara explained. “Hard to find a good bag with a storage system and just one strap. Besides, if I use Balls for everything, means I don’t have to lift as much so Jade yells at me less.”

Jade hissed affirmation and nodded.

“Oh, on that note,” Amara said, suddenly remembering. “Do I need a special application to wear something non-regulation with my uniform? For medical reasons?”

“Do you have a doctor’s note?” the receptionist asked as she deftly slid a letter opener through the envelope’s seal.

Amara of course had no such thing. She dealt more with kooky scientists than with licensed medical professionals, and nobody had thought to get her documentation when they started ordering braces for her years back. She’d suspected that it would be a problem, but never remembered to mention it before she left for Galar.

“No,” she told the woman, slowly peeling her brace off. “But I think the problem’s kinda obvious.”

The receptionist gasped in horror at the girl’s scars. “Arceus on high! Did you get mauled by a Scyther?”

Amara flinched and stepped back, looking down at the floor and hugging her arm against her body. Jade simply glared at the disrespectful woman. It wasn’t her business.

“Nothing like that,” Amara mumbled.

“R-right! Sorry!” the woman replied hastily, realizing how insensitive that had been. “I’ll put you down for accomodation. Desired uniform number?”

Amara had this one picked out since before she left home. “487.”

Arching an eyebrow, the receptionist asked, “Are you certain? That number is widely considered unlucky.”

“Seems like a silly superstition,” the girl retorted, a smile playing at the corner of her lip. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Okay, I just need to make a phone call and have them print the number on your uniform,” the woman informed her. “You can wait in the seating area if you wish; it shouldn’t take more than a half hour.”

“Actually,” Amara began hesitantly. Was this an appropriate thing to ask? She had no clue. “Can I borrow your locker room to change? My clothes are pretty gross from all that running.”

“By all means,” the woman nodded, pointing and giving directions.

Amara waved and wandered off as the receptionist got on the phone. She couldn’t make out most of the conversation, but grinned a bit when she heard the woman exclaim in surprise at the revelation that Amara had a legitimate letter from Wicke.

* * *

The Rotomi in the lobby of the Budew Drop Inn was relatively new. A frequent complaint among Gym challengers was that they got a free stay in a hotel the night before the opening ceremony, but still had to go elsewhere to access a terminal. Even though the League’s budget had been a bit less extravagant the past few years, Leon still managed to make it happen. Ginny was grateful for this.

The blonde was seated at the terminal, her immaculately manicured nails drumming against the small shelf below the terminal as she pondered the touch screen. She had gotten a pretty sharp-looking photo for her League Card, if she did say so herself. She was posed holding Martin’s Premier Ball out to one side, dressed in her favorite white blouse with a red blazer and skirt. With the jacket open, one could see how the clothes hugged her curves just right. Red knee socks and cute, but practical black and red sneakers rounded out the ensemble. She always liked how she looked in red; it was a good contrast to her pale skin, golden hair, and emerald eyes.

“Wha’ d’ya think, Heart?” she asked the Scorbunny looking over her shoulder. Her accent was thick, but charming and melodic. “‘S th’ fire effect too much?”

Heart shook her head. Of course, she liked flames a lot. More importantly, it was really cool to her how it stood out against the snowy fountain she had used for her background. Ginny had called it Circhester and said it was home.

The pair paid it no real mind when the hotel’s door opened. People had been coming and going in a slow trickle all evening. It was a little weird how out of breath the newcomer sounded. Ginny couldn’t help but wonder it they’d waited until the last possible minute to register.

“Hey, I got told I have a room here?” Amara told the desk clerk, sounding uncertain. “Amara Rogue, number 487?”

Ginny did hazard a glance at that. Either the girl was an idiot, an edgelord, or just had the worst luck with her uniform number. Seeing the short, scrawny girl leaning on the counter covered in sweat, wearing a shirt with two different length sleeves, and all but barefoot, Ginny decided idiot was likely the right call. The Pokémon with her was an oddity for sure, though. Unovan grass starter, if she recalled correctly, mid form by the looks of it.

“Wha’ th' ‘ell’s wit’ 'er?” she muttered before going back to the screen. “‘Ey, I can git away wit’ jus’ puttin’ Ginny an’ not Virgina fer me name, aye?”

Amara, meanwhile, eagerly asked the employee, “Hey, can I get pizza delivered here? I’m famished.”

* * *

_…finally returned to the Viridian City Gym after a sabbatical of over five years with his…_

*click*

_…police say assets of the alleged villainous “team” Galactic have gone missing. Representatives of the Galactic Power Company were outraged at the ongoing…._

*click*

_…order now and receive a second Macho Brace…_

*click*

_…of the Church of Arceus spoke out against any government accepting diplomatic overtures from the fledgling region of Port Renegade. The High Priestess was not available for comment…_

*click*

_…team to research the migration of these legendary Pokémon in Galar. Foundation representative Lillie Quintel says that tracking the decades-long journey of these “Galarian birds” may provide key insight into…_

*click*

_…even after two and a half years, there has been no sign of Lysandre. The once-prominent Kalosian philanthropist is now officially presumed dead following his second…_

*click*

_…precautions are being taken. When asked for commentary, Professor Oak told reporters, “This research is years overdue. Never in recorded history have we witnessed such a sudden emergence of regional variants. Orre and its Tree of Life may offer startling new insights into how Pokémon populate and adapt.” His expedition is scheduled to take place after a prolonged study on new evolutions in the Galar region._

“Huh,” Kassius muttered, blowing a strand of blue hair out of his face.

He had not expected his home region to come up on the news, but Samson Oak visiting would be a big deal. Switching the TV off, he rolled over on his bed. Even the “cheap” hotel was so much nicer than where he slept back home. It was actually almost disconcerting; he felt like he’d break or sully something.

His Buneary was glowering at him when he wound up on his side facing her. Kix’s impatient look reminded him that he was supposed to be taking a vacation.

“I know, I know,” he said. “Old habits, y’know? I ain’t gonna change overnight.”

Oblivious to why the Buneary was annoyed, Styx popped up to grab the remote. The Grookey was dying to know if he could work the device to make pictures appear and talk in the box like his Trainer did. The answer was no. He decided against whacking it with his stick to see if that helped.

Kix threw herself against Kassius’ chest, demanding he hold her. She wanted his mind off of their home country and his work. They had all of Galar to explore, and she wanted her Trainer to actually be fully there for it.

“Stoked for tomorrow?” he asked, earning a happy honk from the Buneary.

Rolling once more onto his back, Kassius grabbed his P*DA from the nightstand. It had taken some work to find a Rotom-compatible model, but he was confident it would be worth it. P*DAs were more durable than normal smartphones, and designed to be compatible with almost any software and accessories.

“Hey, Pedey,” he told the Rotom. “Set an alarm for 8:30 am.”

“It’zzzz done! Zzrt!” came the cheerful reply. “Anything else?”

“Nah, rest up. I’mma do the same.”

* * *

**March 20** **th**

Being on the pitch of Motostoke Stadium had Butterfrees in Amara’s stomach. She had almost been detained for lack of proper footwear, but Bea walking by barefoot shut the League employee up real quick. Now here she was, surrounded by a throng of other Trainers, about to truly embark on her journey.

 _You know, this is like the third “milestone beginning” I’ve decided I’m having,_ she realized. _Maybe outside life just feels momentous compared to sitting around the house?_

The Butterfrees in her stomach felt like they Gigantamaxed as triumphant music blared over the PA and the Gym Leaders took the field. Amara’s eyes went from Milo to Nessa to Kabu to Nessa, and so on. The only reason she was able to tear her eyes from the dark-skinned beauty was to also ogle Bea, Klara, Melony, and Marnie. They were each breathtaking in their own way, and Amara could hear her heart pounding as she realized she would face each of them in time.

The stadium lights dimmed after Raihan made a show of posing for the cheering crowd and took his place next to Marnie. Once the overwhelming din of the audience had faded, spotlights fell on the announcers, whom Amara had been doing her best to ignore for the sake of her brain cells.

“It has been an eventful few years for our beloved Pokémon League,” Sordward declared.

Amara had to make an effort to not roll her eyes and groan. The brothers’ accents were so over-the-top they sounded fake, like a comedy sketch making fun of a GBC program. Not to mention their hairdos made them look like discount Yu-Gi-Oh! villains… But, she didn’t want to disrupt the proceedings, and she especially didn’t want the attention of the throng of people around her. The weird looks she’d gotten for her left “sleeve” and uniform number were awkward enough.

As triumphant music began to swell, Shielbert was hamming it up. “It is our privilege to present to you the Champions who have done the impossible. Give it up for the girl who conquered the undefeatable, Gloooooria! And, of course, the King’s shield, Zamazenta!”

The spotlight glinted off the golden metal of Zamazenta’s shield before it actually offered any view of the Trainer. She wore the same outfit she had during her reign as Champion: a black jersey with the Champion’s sword and shield logo, a matching skirt with the number 227 emblazoned on it, and a black version of her signature tammie cap. The crowd went wild as she strode onto the pitch, her towering wolf following at her heels. Gloria took a moment to blow a kiss to Marnie, making the pale Gym Leader grateful there were no spotlights on her to let the audience see her blush.

Sordward let the applause die down again before he announced, “Let’s hear it for the up-and-coming professor and wielder of the King’s sword! Presenting Hooooop!”

The boy ran out almost before the spotlight was ready. Like his rival, he was clad in his old Champion outfit: a black jersey and shorts. Atop it he wore a lab coat he’d received from Sonia, proudly bearing his number 189 on the breast pocket. Zacian bounded out shortly thereafter, leaping into the spotlight with her usual zeal. Zamazenta chuffed a greeting at her, the noise echoing through the arena as Shielbert’s mic picked it up. Hop had to wave Zacian down to keep her from starting a battle then and there.

“Finally,” Sordward’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker, “A man needing no introduction.”

Shielbert took it upon himself to introduce him, anyway. “Though no longer undefeated, he is still your Champion!”

“The one!”

“The only!”

The brothers called in unison, “Leeeeeon!”

For a moment, the lights went off completely. All was silent in the darkness of the covered stadium save for the scattered murmurings of confused spectators. A single light stepped onto the pitch: a flickering flame lumbering slowly forward. Charizard was barely visible in his own light. His progress halted near the center of the League’s side of the Stadium. After a moment, all of the spotlights activated, converged on Leon, catching the moment he struck his signature Charizard pose. The roar of the crowd was downright deafening. Losing to Gloria had not made him any less of a fan favorite, it seemed. If anything, he was more popular than ever after beating Zacian herself to take back his title.

Slowly, the other lights returned. At last, the crowd quieted enough that the Champions could speak. Gloria stepped front and center to go first. The giant screen above the stands was filled with her sweet, smiling face.

“Oi, ye lot, listen up!” she yelled, her almost guttural accent stunning a few of the challenges. “Look ‘round yerselves. I count goin’ on 70 of ye. Mebbe 15 of ye’ll be left when ye git t’ Wyndon. Harsh, innit? Na ev’ryone’s got wha’ it takes, aye? Fer those tha’ do, ne’er give up! I beat pretty boy ‘ere an’ saved the bloody region me first year out, an’ then this git ‘ere took me down! Thar’s no limit to what ye can do wit’ yer partners, ye hear? So those’a ye tha’ got the mettle, I’d bloody well better see ye ‘gain at the finish line!”

Amara hadn’t really noticed that she was clutching Jade’s Ball to her chest during the speech until after. There was a fire in the older girl that clearly hadn’t gone out any, and it made determination swell inside Amara. She wasn’t planning to just be one of 15 to show up in Wyndon; she wouldn’t be satisfied unless her and Jade went the distance.

“I promise,” she whispered, holding the PokéBall near her lips, “I won’t back down until we’re at the top.”

Hop gave what could be objectively called a speech, in that words came out. Most of it was gushing about how great Lee and Gloria were, and the rest was just kind of a nervous jumble. High pressure had never been his forte.

When his turn came up, Leon motioned for the crowd to calm down. “I know you’re all waiting on me to say a few words. But, first, I need to help somebody else say a few.”

There was a collective gasp as hoofbeats echoed through the stadium. Unlike everyone else, who had entered through the concourse, Calyrex rode in through a solid billboard under the stands. His mount regarded the challengers. Even with its eyes shut and one partially obscured by its purple mane, Amara could feel Spectrier staring. Dismounting, Calyrex floated over to Leon, who nodded at the Pokémon’s unspoken question.

Leon’s body lit up with blue light, and a voice not quite his own sounded over the loudspeaker, “Greetings, my loyal subjects.”

The crowd fell utterly silent at the words of their king.

Calyrex’s crown pulsed a soft green as he continued to speak through Leon, “For countless generations, humans and Pokémon have grown closer through the sport of battling. Even in days before capturing was discovered, humans have always formed bonds with us. Through countless battles and wandering the wild, you can learn what the life of a Pokémon is. Similarly, Pokémon seeing the wonders of man and meeting all manner of humans and Pokémon from far-off places can appreciate the grandeur of mankind. The art evolved considerably since last I rode across this land, but it pleases me to find its spirit unchanging and proud as ever. Many come seeking greatness, but all will leave with bonds and understanding worth infinitely more. Go forth, humans and Pokémon alike, and experience all this world has to offer!”

Amara would have joined in the standing ovation that Calyrex’s words received, but she was distracted. Not by Nessa or Marnie, surprisingly, but by a cloying dread. She hoped it was her imagination acting up because she was overwhelmed. It would be so much better than the actuality of Spectrier glaring wrathfully at her. Nobody else seemed to notice anything, and the horse’s eyes never opened, but she knew. The rage seemed to abate when Calyrex once again mounted his steed.

“I look out at all of you and I see hope for the future,” Leon began, startling Amara out of her thoughts. “I love Galar and our Pokémon League. We’re the best in the world. I see greatness in all of you, but it is our job to make you all bring it out. What direction your futures go in, well, Hop and Sonia would say I’m the last person to ask for any kind of directions.” He paused while there was a polite chuckle from the audience. “But in this case, the reason I can’t see it is that it’s not up to me. We aren’t your guides; we’re your hurdles! It is up to each of you to find your own way past us, above us! I believe in the power you will all have with your Pokémon beside you. So, get out there, battle to your heart’s content, and steer your future as high as you can! Let’s all have a champion time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Actual pre-planned human OCs in my fic? Craziness.
> 
> I wanted to give Ginny a moment of screen time here because her original introduction left a fairly negative image of her with my beta reader, and I don't blame him. I mean, this may not give the best first impression of her, either, but trust me it's better. In case my amateur attempts to transcribe it don't make it clear, she has a very heavy faux-Irish accent. Chalk any imperfections in it up to her being from Galar instead of real Ireland, as it is definitely that and not be being bad at this. >.>
> 
> The news Kassius is listening to is a mishmash of story details from other fics and plots from the RP Amara's father hailed from. One of them is actually an old abandoned project from my cringey HS/early college days... I don't think I'll get that rewritten in any timely fashion, so I've gotta fold the details into my other work now that I can feign competence.
> 
> Did not know until I did a bit of searching YouTube that happy rabbit noises were called honking. It's useful information considering I've got Buneary and Scorbunny running around here.
> 
> I have always subscribed to the fanon that Gloria has a thick Scottish accent and cusses like a sailor. I was pretty tilted when they released her Pokémon Masters trailer and she had a cute British accent. I'm not surprised; I'm just disappointed. Next Pokémon Masters will try to tell me she's not in lesbians with Marnie or something ridiculous like that...
> 
> Edit: Whee, 19 new character tags with this chapter! It's almost like I just crammed almost every relevant canon human in a stadium.


	9. Detour

**Chapter 9 - Detour**

* * *

“You know, this sounds pretty neat!” Amara declared as she browsed through the menus on her new Y-Comm app.

Y-Comm’s developer was a huge donor to the Galar League, and their communication app was the official League-sanctioned way for challengers to find each other and keep in touch. The app could display the location of other users, as well as saying whether they had pitched camp, were in a League battle, were in a Raid Den, and the like. Trainers could even exchange “Friend Codes”, which were basically phone numbers that only worked in the Y-Comm.

Of course, many of the challengers had immediately busied themselves trading codes amongst each other and making plans, but Amara had had quite enough being around humans for one day. Not even bothering to try changing in the overcrowded locker area, Amara had just slipped out amid the throng of spectators, anxious to not be surrounded by a yelling crowd anymore.

She had then utilized the other app gifted to her by the League staff and summoned a Flying Taxi. Apparently the service was free for any Trainer during their Gym Challenge, and Amara planned to make frequent use of it.

Putting Siri back on her belt, Amara looked out the window at the scenery below. The Dappled Grove was as beautiful as ever in the light of the late afternoon sun. The local Pokémon paid the taxi no mind, continuing to play in the branches of the trees or collect Berries that had fallen.

“Set down over there!” she called to the driver; she didn’t want to get him too close to her Secret Base.

After thanking the man and waving goodbye to his Corviknight, Amara began walking towards the creek, marveling at all the Pokémon around her. She spotted a few Applin trying to blend in amid the trees, a strategy that would have worked wonders in the fall. She did almost miss a Wormadam camouflaged brilliantly in her leafy cloak. With the shadows of the canopy obscuring Wormadam’s body, it was only her flowers being the wrong shade of white that gave her away.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of walking through here,” Amara told Jade. Noticing the same Ludicolo from last time, she waved politely as she went by. “At this rate, I’ll be through so often I may have to name the locals.”

* * *

Gemini was still sore from the previous few days. A nice dinner and some affectionate petting from Amara was making him feel somewhat better, but his back was displeased he had borne a rider for so long twice in a week.

“We wouldn’t have made it in time for the Gym Challenge without you,” Amara crooned. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it, but it was the first time she’d said it while nuzzling against the Girafarig’s neck. “I think I owe you some kind of reward.”

In case she had somehow been at all ambiguous about her intentions, Amara punctuated her sentence by starting to remove her shirt. Gemini promptly forgot about his strained back as he turned to face his Trainer; this was a far better thing to focus on. Eagerly, he nosed her in the crotch.

“Stop that!” Amara protested, though her giggling suggested that she was more amused than bothered.

All the same, Gemini complied, turning so his tail could rub against her taut belly. Once she had finished the annoying process of shucking her jersey, Amara caressed the tail lovingly. With a playful growl, it opened its jaws to deliver a love bite.

“Ah-ah!” Amara scolded. “There are rules!” Pointing to her belt, she said, “This is the line. You can only leave a mark on me if it’s below here. And if I tell you to stop biting me, you take it more seriously than when I tell you to stop headbutting me, alright?”

Her reply took the form of pointed teeth delicately pressing into her skin. Amara shuddered as she felt them; they were sharp enough that the tail could kill her instantly if it felt the desire to. Gemini clearly felt no such impulse in either brain; he (it, they?) was too busy peppering her stomach with fleeting nips.

Amara had always assumed the appeal of biting came from the thrill and danger of it. Pokémon were so much stronger than humans, and marking their tender flesh during couplings seemed like such a hot reminder of that superiority. The reversion of the power dynamic to a more natural one had always thrilled the girl, so much so that she had neglected one simple possibility: biting was hot because it just felt good.

With every caress of his fangs, Gemini lit up Amara’s nerve endings in whole new ways. Even the slight pain that accompanied his harder nibbles was accompanied by some kind of feral rush. She couldn’t describe it accurately, but it sure had her in a hurry to be bottomless so the tail could be a bit more reckless with her.

Gemini circled his Trainer once she had finished stripping. She had gone totally bare this time. He looked with concern at her old scars; he’d not seen them before. A cursory investigation revealed that the wounds were likely years old, so he relaxed. Whatever battle Amara had been in, clearly she lived to tell the tale.

His worry abating, Gemini nuzzled and licked the tiny girl’s neck while his tail snarled and bit aggressively into her hip. Amara could only moan, her body’s trembling resounding through her voice, and let it happen. Her voice escalated somewhat when Gemini’s long tongue found her breasts and lapped at her sensitive nipples. The pale little buds had already been a little stiff from her arousal; they now stood firmly at attention, glistening with the trails left behind by the Girafarig’s tongue.

Amara let out a little yelp of alarm when she felt a smaller, rougher tongue against her flushed and eager pussy. She considered being passive, but the trickle of blood she felt running down her hip validated her nervousness.

Gently, she pushed the tail away. “Not this time, buddy. It’ll be a little bit before I’m comfortable with your sharp and pointies near the delicate stuff.”

The tail gurgled in annoyance at this, but Gemini’s lowing sounded totally unsurprised. Amara was pretty sure she’d never have a grasp on just how unified the two heads of her Pokémon were; moments like this they were clearly different, yet their synchronicity of intent other times, coupled with the fact they obviously shared sensation, muddied the waters considerably.

Amara didn’t dwell on the potential plurality of her mate; she had other things to worry about. Now that she didn’t have two mouths lavishing her dainty body with carnal affection, the girl was free to kneel. Situating herself beneath Gemini’s body still required her to sit back on her heels. Amara knew her feet and ankles would be a bit irked with her later, but it was nothing compared to how much her Pokémon had strained himself for her sake. Besides, it was a position she’d kinda always wanted to try.

Gemini’s bulbous head was already starting to emerge from its sheath. With a few loving caresses of her left hand, plus a playful kiss on the Pokémon’s balls, she was able to coax it out. Amara was thankful that she had sensation in her left arm; it freed up her right to wander between her slightly parted thighs.

It took a few tries to suck in a calming breath. Her fingers tracing the length of her wet slit kept making her moan and she did not have the willpower to stop. Eventually, Amara steadied her breathing and began to regard the cock she was teasing with her fingers. It was pretty big, though perhaps not as bad as she’d originally thought once the initial shock wore off. She was pretty sure she’d had a jawbreaker the size of Gemini’s glans before.

Taking a deep breath and opening wide, Amara decided to just take as much as she could in her mouth and not overthink it. Unfortunately, she had not relaxed her jaw sufficiently to actually accept the swollen cockhead in all the way. She wound up awkwardly kissing it with weirdly parted lips, looking for all the world like a Magikarp trying to eat an oversized portion of meat. Jade, who had been peeping from the kitchen, burst out laughing at this. Without missing a beat, Amara flipped her starter the Spearow and pulled her head back.

Perhaps taking it slow was the better approach, Amara kissed and licked the oddly shaped shaft, letting herself get used to the musky tang of the Pokémon’s precum. Periodically, she’d sit back and let her hand do the work while she flexed her jaw a bit. When it became apparent her left hand just wasn’t up for jacking the giraffe off anymore, she leaned in to try again with her mouth.

The second time was apparently the charm. Once she had wrapped her lips around the head, it wasn’t too hard for Amara to take a bit more of his length. The downward tilt of the glans made more than that unfeasible at the moment, but Amara had the somewhat tantalizing realization that the shape would work in her favor for deepthroating. Gemini lowed softly as the warmth of his Trainer’s mouth engulfed him. If this was the kind of reward he got for helping out, he’d ferry the girl anytime.

Amara’s mouth had never had a penis in it before, and it showed. Her initial ministrations were clumsy and explorative, consisting mostly of her moving her head back and forth while her tongue probed the foreign body. Of course, she was also distracting herself a bit; she’d had two fingers pumping into her tight snatch from the moment she got Gemini in her mouth.

Eventually, she found a rhythm. It involved gyrating her neck a bit to accommodate Gemini’s unique cock while she sucked. Curious, she tried a couple different paces, swirling her tongue along different spots, and sometimes just let his cock sit as deep as it would comfortably fit her mouth as she swallowed another spurt of precum. Listening carefully, Amara took note of what made Gemini suddenly cry out from either mouth. Apparently they liked slightly different things. It wasn’t much longer before the precum was flowing almost nonstop, and both heads were vocalizing their ecstasy in unison.

 _Am I ready to flood my mouth with giraffe cum?_ was a thought Amara never suspected she’d have to wrangle with, and yet here she was.

Ultimately, the answer was no, but Amara did have another plan. Gemini let out dual whines of need as she pulled her lips off of his dick with a small pop. He felt the girl brush against his legs as she got down on her back and scooted into a new position. A wet schlicking sound told him that she hadn’t been able to pry herself from her own pleasure long enough to move.

Soon Amara was sprawled naked on her back beneath her Pokémon, slowly fingering herself while she stroked his hot, throbbing cock between the soles of her feet. She was deliberately teasing poor Gemini, edging him in hopes she’d heighten his climax when she finally gave it to him.

“I want you to cum all over me, Gemini,” she cooed as she worked. “Cover my tiny little body in your hot jizz. Can you hear how wet I’ve gotten thinking about it?”

The Girafarig let out a desperate moo, thrusting himself against her feet in an attempt to comply faster. Even with her teasing pace, there was no way he could last very long.

“You know why I got all the way naked?” Amara asked him in a singsong. “I want you to drench me head to toe. And then? I’m gonna go outside and finish myself off in the creek before I clean it up.”

The thought was so overwhelming that Gemini actually stilled himself while he considered it. His Trainer, painted in glistening white ropes of his seed, masturbating in the starlight. It was almost too much.

“You can watch, of course. But first you have to let my feet milk all that hot cum out of your cock,” she said, trying to sound sultry as she sped up her strokes. “Cover me in your jizz and make me feel like a total slut. Let all the wild Pokémon see how you marked me as your breeding whore.”

That was actually too much. With a resounding outcry from both heads, Gemini erupted in orgasm. Jet after jet of his essence sprayed over Amara’s body, erratically plastering her belly, tits, and face. A few drops landed on her thighs, dribbling down to the girl’s already soaked cunt. Several spurts landed at least partially on the wooden floor around her, settling into small pools of white.

When the Girafarig opened his eyes after coming down from his climax, he was greeted by an amazing spectacle. Amara stood in front of him, ivory rivulets of his spunk rolling gently down her body. She had wiped off a couple streaks from her face with two fingers and dipped them into her waiting mouth as he gawked. Once the digits came out clean, she led him down the tunnel to the water.

Kneeling spread open in the creek, Amara was just barely illuminated by a sliver of moon and a sky full of stars. Gemini and Jade watched in silent awe from the Base exit as she made good on her promise. Still soaked in Gemini’s cum, she brazenly fingered herself while the cool water cascaded over her legs. Her voice carried far in the pristine wilderness, drawing in several wild Pokémon. Nickit, Spinarak, and even a Buizel gathered to gawk at the nude human as she fucked herself, her free hand massaging her cum-covered breasts. She didn’t even slow down when the Buizel approached her for a closer look and a curious sniff.

“Like…what you…see?” she panted, withdrawing her fingers from her slick channel to give her clit some much needed attention.

<Is this normal?> Gemini asked softly.

Jade shook her head. <Honestly, I think suddenly being able to act on fantasies she’s had for years is wreaking havoc on her self-control.>

<Should we stop it?>

<Oh Azelf no,> Jade chortled. <Let her experiment and do crazy things, as long as we keep her safe. Maybe I’ll eventually be one of them.>

The pair stopped talking when Amara’s cries began their inevitable crescendo. Her shrill declaration of release echoed through the creekbed as her body spasmed uncontrollably. The Trainer’s legs were not up for supporting her through her climax, but the wild Buizel gently helped her recline.

Gemini also stepped out to help, and the assembled Pokémon quickly scattered at the sight and scent of him. They seemed to assume he was there to assert his claim on the girl he’d marked. Amara grinned up weakly at him as the chilly water rushed through her hair.

“That…w-was…awesome.”

* * *

Amara sat on the mattress pad, wrapped in a fluffy towel still. Siri was playing relaxing music while the Trainer scrolled through notifications. She had no messages from home, which was a mixed bag. On the one hand, she’d been out and about for a full week now and kind of missed people. On the other hand, no news meant nothing had gone wrong enough for anyone to risk contact.

The Y-Comm app, on the other hand, was flooded with junk notifications. Amara began to suspect that for all the cool features it promised the app had severe functional issues. Either that or Challenger Jemma had actually beat 47 Dynamax Corphish in the same Den and the next nearest camper was in the water of Lake Axewell. The former seemed vastly more plausible.

“Well, that’s disappointing,” she muttered. “I had high hopes for it.”

“The list of complaints online is fairly extensive,” Siri informed her.

“Oh, well. Not like I have friends to network with,” Amara shrugged. “Who’s ready for bed?”

JoJo made a show of yawning, and Sulfie was already asleep.

“I’m too lazy to get dressed. Is it weird if I sleep naked with you guys?” she asked the three conscious Pokémon.

Jade trotted off and returned with a fresh arm brace. She tossed it to Amara before eagerly hopping under the blanket.

“Probably a good idea. Thanks!” Once she had her arm taken care of, she joined Jade beneath the large blanket. “Tomorrow we start hiking for the first Gym. Even though they open where we just were, we gotta beat Milo in Turffield before anyone else.”

JoJo perked up at this. A real battle in a Gym sounded like fun.

“With the four of you, a Grass Gym should be a breeze,” Amara declared, grinning at her team. “So let’s rest up. It’s a long road ahead.”

Sirt turned the lights off, leaving Amara and the others cuddled together on the floor. She wondered what it was like to sleep the way organics did. Given how blissful they all looked, it seemed pretty great. Perhaps some day she would try it and see what data she could glean from the experience. For now, she had her own way of resting, and it sounded like a good plan. Once she was confident the others had drifted off, she let the music fade out, set her phone down gently, and entered sleep mode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I promise not every sex scene with Amara involves her feet. It's not like she's a diehard foot fetishist or anything. It's just she's more comfortable using them than she is her hands because of her injury.
> 
> In other news, my disdain for the Y-Comm knows no bounds. It is simply inexcusably bad. I might have given them the benefit of the doubt if the PSS from the 3DS era hadn't been spot-on. (We'll just try to forget the horrors of Festival Plaza.)
> 
> I cannot tell you how many times I have been trying to trade with a friend in the same freaking room and can't. My personal favorite is when we each get the notification that the other is looking for a trade. It is just so nonsensical to me that you have to go in and click on people's Raids to join but you can't do the same exact thing for trades and battles. For added fun, the Y-Comm sometimes decides that certain pairs of people cannot be allowed to play together. My friend Sho, for instance, cannot join a Raid if I do. The others can bring him or bring me, but never both.
> 
> Tl;dr, the Y-Comm is a real thing in the story so I have an outlet to make fun of how unforgivably crappy it is.


	10. En Route

**Chapter 10 - En Route**

* * *

**March 21** **st**

From where the Flying Taxi had dropped her off, Amara had a pretty straight shot out of the hustle and bustle of Motostoke. This suited her fine. Sure, she’d resolved to get used to people, but starting in a huge city like this felt less like diving into the deep end and more like diving into the open ocean. She scuttled along the sidewalk trying not to attract any errant conversation; the sooner she could leave the better.

In spite of telling herself this, Amara still had to know what was up when she saw something out of place. At the end of the great stone bridge connecting the city to Route 3, a familiar flash of white caught her eye. She had seen precisely zero Aether Foundation employees since she arrived in Galar, so what were the odds that one was just sitting in the little park that she had to walk past as she was leaving? Sure enough, recognition flickered as she walked up to the guy.

“Jordy!” she greeted with a wave.

He made a show of looking her way as though he hadn’t been tracking her every movement along the bridge. Amara was not in the least bit fooled, and Jade even less so.

“Alola!” he called back, waving politely with both arms. “Long time, no see!”

“You can’t be all the way out here because you miss checking in on me,” Amara commented, smirking a bit with her accusatory tone.

“What can I say?” Jordy shrugged. “Work is so much more droll now. I do miss checking in on you.”

“You miss the overtime hours,” she corrected him, pointedly.

“Iiiii miss the overtime hours, yeah,” he admitted.

“I see you have your 'legitimate’ uniform on,” she pointed out. “Trying to be inconspicuous?”

“Amara Rogue, can you  _ please _ not use air quotes when talking about our cover?” he pleaded in a harsh whisper. “Please?”

“Dad sent the whole goon squad,” she realized aloud.

“We, the Aether Foundation, are your sponsors,” he reminded her. “Says so in your letter. Makes sense for us to see how our challenger is doing.”

“Nope,” Amara declared, turning to walk away. “I did not come here to be babysat.”

“We know!” Jordy called after her in exasperation. “That’s what I’m here to talk to you about. Your father is just having us check in periodically to see if you’re ok. Maybe tell us some stories to send his way. We’ll be around, but out of your hair. Really.”

Amara turned back and sighed deeply as the implication set in. “It really isn’t safe to call him myself, huh?”

“Siri’s phone is a very secure piece of tech, but we’re erring on the side of caution,” he explained. “Speaking of, here.”

Jordy held out a slip of paper with several names and numbers scribbled on it. Amara checked it front and back, seeing there were also shifts and days off listed. She held it out for Siri to scan.

“I have registered their numbers, Amara,” the Porygon reported. “And I will set a script to cycle your default emergency contacts.”

“So, you handling the crowds ok?” Jordy inquired.

“Not my favorite,” Amara replied, screwing up her face. “But I’ll deal.”

“So you spent the night in the Wild Area to avoid the stampede of Trainers hitting Route 3 all all at once?” he asked. “Smart move.”

“Yes,” Amara said, clearing her throat awkwardly. “That is the reason.”

Jordy didn’t even want to know, so he pressed on, “And I know you hate when I ask, kid, but-”

“Bit numb today, but functional,” she cut in, grimacing as she recalled the rest. “Only one flareup since I’ve been here, and the phantom pain’s been good except for that and a teensy little panic attack in a pocket dimension.”

“In…a…pocket dimension?!” Jordy repeated.

“Yup, pocket dimension,” she confirmed. “They happen in radioactive spots all over Galar, it seems. Wasn’t expecting it, got lost, tweaked myself out.”

“This fucking family,” he muttered. “I need a raise.”

“Glad to see you haven’t changed any,” she remarked, grinning a bit. “Sass aside, it’s good to have familiar faces here if I need them.”

“And paycheck aside, I worry, too,” he confessed. “Jade, you’re making sure she takes care of herself, yeah?”

The Servine shot him her best “are you kidding me?” glare and hissed indignantly.

“That’s rich,” Amara chuckled. “Dude, she’s been with me since I was born. She’s probably better at taking care of me than you are.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jordy sighed. “I’ve held you up long enough. We’re burning daylight, and I assume you got places to be. Safe travels, kid.”

“Pfft, heck that,” Amara replied with an eye roll. “If I wanted ‘safe’, I wouldn’t be taking such a risk being out here in the first place. Besides, gotta make you earn your paycheck, especially if you want that raise.”

Shaking his head, he amended it to, “Just don’t die out there or I’m fired, ok?”

“I promise I’ll keep my mortality in the locked and upright position,” she assured him. “See ya!”

As he waved goodbye, Jordy couldn’t help but smile wistfully. When he’d first met Amara she was so timid she could barely talk to him. Now, that vivacious attitude that used to only show when she didn’t think anyone was watching seemed to be on full display. He was glad she was finally getting her time in the sun, figuratively and literally.

“You’re gonna go far, kid.”

* * *

Route 3 was a gently sloping expanse of grass and stones, its rolling hills slowly trending upwards as its trails converged on a mountain cave. Amara spent much of her time scrabbling up random little rocky outcroppings and staring into the distance. She could see a small railway to the north, winding its way from Motostoke to a plume of smoke she assumed was some sort of industrial facility.

“You doin’ a Patrat impression?” came a voice from further up the hill.

“Just enjoying the scenery,” Amara assured him.

“Well if you got time for that, you got time t’ battle!” he proclaimed. “Go, Sizzlipede!”

“Awww, lookit its little mustache!” Amara squeed. “You Galarians get some pretty adorable Bug-types!” Turning serious, she grabbed a PokéBall from her hip. “Jade, stand back. Sulfie, you’re up!”

Sizing up the eager Stunky, the young Trainer ordered, “Defense Curl, Sizzlipede!”

“Acid Spray!”

The little Fire-type curled its flat body protectively, its vicious glare daring Sulfie to make a move. So, she did. Planting her forepaws, she hoisted her lower body into the air and unleashed a jet of caustic greenish sludge. It could be heard bubbling and hissing on contact with Sizzlipede’s body, but a plume of white smoke blasted the liquid off before it could do more harm.

“Follow up with Skitter Smack!”

With a startling burst of speed, the fiery centipede scuttled along the ground. It was under Sulfie before she could react, delivering an uncomfortably hot headbutt to her underbelly. A quick jet of mud from Secret Power caused Sizzlipede to roll out from under her, and she took off like a shot as soon as her paws were on the ground. Following Amara’s order, she scurried up a barren rock.

“Try Secret Power again!” Amara urged.

This time, she launched a small boulder. With the horrid crunching crack of chitin, the projectile shot straight into the side of Sizzlipede’s head. The Pokémon scuttled about in a daze, lunging at the first sign of motion and running headfirst into a rock as Sulfie scurried across it.

With some words of encouragement from its Trainer, Sizzlipede was coming around, but Sulfie was all the way across the battlefield with Amara. The girl had fished out her softly glowing pendant, and reached down to pet her Stunky. Light began to flood into Sulfie, but petered out.

“Sorry, guess we need to- look out!” Amara warned.

Sulfie swiveled around, ready to intercept Skitter Smack. With another jet of muddy gravel, she laid out a tiny speed bump, but it was enough. Sizzlipede having to crest even that minute elevation exposed enough surface area for her to lunge and deliver Fury Swipes. Eagerly, she drove the little centipede back.

“Got ‘er! Flame Wheel, now!”

It was over, and Sulfie knew it. She had nowhere to go as searing heat poured in waves off Sizzlipede’s body and it ignited. Oblivious to the smell that suddenly permeated the air, Sizzlipede reared back, tucked, and rolled, driving the full force of its flaming body into the Stunky’s exposed flank. There was a cry of pain, followed by a violent explosion that rattled the nearby rocks.

“Sulfie!” Amara yelled, running over to see if she was alright. “Giratina’s sake, dude, how hot does that thing burn?”

“Wasn’t Sizzlipede!” the kid exclaimed with his hands up.

As the putrid smoke cleared, it was obvious that Sulfie was fine, just unconscious. Sizzlipede had taken the brunt of the blast, and lay equally unconscious at Sulfie’s side.

“The heck?” Amara asked, cocking her head in confusion.

“‘Twas Aftermath, I think,” the other Trainer said. “Isn’t that ‘er Ability?”

“Oh, yeah,” Amara remembered, feeling a bit silly. “My first time ever seeing it.”

“Well, rules say if Aftermath gets the last KO, that’s a win for the user. Congrats,” he said, walking over. “Wanna give you this t’ make up for givin’ you such a scare.”

“Wait, aren’t those super valuable?” Amara asked, taking the TM he held out to her.

“It’s for Dig,” he replied with a shrug. “Sizzlipede can’t use it, but maybe Sulfie can. If us Challengers don’t try t’ help each other here and there, who else we got?”

“Well thanks,” Amara said as she recalled Sulfie. “I’ll put it to good use.”

“So, after giving you something nice, can maybe I get your number?” he asked, looking hopeful.

“That is a hard nope,” she informed him before resuming her progress up the trail.

* * *

JoJo crushed the little yellow diamond between his paws, holding it under Sulfie’s nose. She blinked a few times before lifting her head up. Her side was sore and her vision blurry.

<How did I get here, what is Amara squeeing at, and why do I know Dig all of a sudden?> she asked blearily.

With a chuckle, JoJo ground the fragrant shards of the Revive a bit more. <You got conked out pretty good, huh? You won!>

<Is…is Amara trying to pet the wild Rolycoly?> Sulfie demanded once her vision cleared.

<They’re just her style,> the Darumaka replied with a grin. <She was smitten at first sight.>

<How so?>

Shrugging, he guessed, <Eh, cute in a quirky kinda way and practical to have around for some reason or another.>

<I’m cute in the regular way,> Sulfie harrumphed. <I’m not “quirky”.>

<Keep tellin’ yourself that,> JoJo chuckled, shaking his head and turning to catch up with Amara.

<What’s  _ that _ supposed to mean, Joestar?!> Sulfie demanded as she gave chase.

“C’mon!” Amara pleaded as the unicycular Pokémon scattered. “I just wanna keep one of you guys!”

The Rock-types were clearly not interested, but the racket Amara was stirring up drew the attention of a local Corvisquire. He circled above, wondering what shiny valuables he could claim for himself if he got that satchel off the human girl’s back. Diving in to peck at her, he was startled by a loud cry.

“Oraaaa!” JoJo yelled, sailing into the fray atop a boulder Sulfie launched with Secret Power. He was so very grateful she had noticed the bird, and made a note to thank her as he unleashed a flurry of Fire Punches. “Ora ora ora ora ora ora!”

Amara whistled softly as she watched JoJo knock Corvisquire out of the sky. 

“This is why you don’t get in range of my Stand,” she scolded it. “That was awesome, you two!”

* * *

“I can’t believe none of them wanted to join us!” Amara whined as she let her bowl clatter to the ground.

She slumped against a small tree, looking at the faint lights of the refinery in the distance. It was at least a nice place to camp. Dealing with Jordy had her in a somewhat dour mood, and the lack of adorable coal unicycles in her life did not make her feel better. It wasn’t that she disliked her caretakers or anything; they did the best they could when her parents couldn’t be around. It was just that conversing with him really drove home how much she was leaving behind for her travels.

“Hey, Siri,” she called, “You mind starting that playlist I made for if I get homesick?”

“Starting playback,” the Porygon said, and a piano note rang out.

Amara did not join during the song’s intro, instead waiting for the reprise,

“ _ When I was a young girl, _

_ My father took me into the city, _

_ To see a marching band, _

_ He said, ‘Hon when you grow up, _

_ Would you be the savior of the broken, _

_ The beaten, and the damned?’ _ ”

Gemini listened raptly, but eventually had to ask Jade, <Is there some reason she’s skipping parts like that?>

Jade nodded, smiling wistfully. <She and her dad would sing that song together all the time when she was growing up. It meant a lot to him from what I gather. She’s skipping his lines.>

“ _ I won’t explain, or say I’m sorry, _

_ I’m unashamed, I’m gonna show my scars! _

_ Give a cheer for all the broken! _

_ Listen here, because it’s who we are! _ ”

When that was proceded directly by a rest, Gemini asked quickly, <Can he sing like her?>

<Nobody can, as far as I know,> Jade replied.

With how focused everyone was on Amara, the slow approach of a little red-orange light went unnoticed by everyone until the end of the song. Once silence had fallen, the Rolycoly wheeled into full view of the firelight, glancing around.

“O-oh!” Amara gasped. “Hey, little buddy! I bet you smelled the food. JoJo, can you get a bowl of beans for our guest?”

JoJo was up in a flash, and had served the Rock-type before he got any real chance to reply. It most certainly had not been the food that caught his attention, but he was rather hungry and had never tried human food.

<Don’t be shy,> the Darumaka said, clapping him on the back. <We got plenty, and you would make her day if you stayed at least for a bit.>

<Thanks,> he rumbled happily before diving in for a taste. It was a bit too sweet for his liking, but otherwise quite good. The bowl was emptied in no time flat. <Dang, is this how you guys spend all your nights?>

Jade and Gemini couldn’t keep themselves from dissolving into fits of laughter at this. Amara stared at her Pokémon in confusion.

“What is with you two and/or three?” she demanded. “Did he say something weird?”

Her obliviousness just made the laughter grow more uproarious.

<I’m with her,> Rolycoly said. <Did I say something weird?>

<It’s an inside joke,> Sulfie explained.

< _ Deep _ inside,> JoJo added, snickering a bit himself.

“Don’t mind them,” Amara told Rolycoly with a shake of her head. “You want seconds?”

He spun to face her, then swerved a bit to the side once. She took that as the rough equivalent of a headshake.

“No, then? Okay, good,” she sighed, stretching her legs. “I kinda didn’t want to get up. I’ve walked more in the last ten days than I have in the last six months, and apparently rocky hills were the last straw. My feet are killing me.”

Rolycoly wheeled over to her and tipped forward, wedging his head under her leg and nudging gently upward.

“What? Oh, that’s sweet, but you don’t have to-” Amara began before getting interrupted by a more insistent nudge. “O…kay.”

Reluctantly, she put her aching feet up on Rolycoly’s back as instructed. He locked his wheel, letting her adjust her weight until she was comfortable.

<Geez, isn ‘t that a lot of weight on a Pokémon your size?> Sulfie asked.

<It’s no bother,> he insisted. <I’m made of stone. I barely feel it. It’s the least I can do for music and a meal.>

Amara let out a prolonged sigh of relief as she realized the Pokémon was heating up his body for her. “I formally retract any sentence I tried to utter about you not having to do this. I needed this. Thanks… Wait, are you a male?”

Rolycoly unlocked his wheel and tipped forward before righting himself.

“Good, because it works better if you’re a man,” she declared with a grin. “Can I call you Otto?”

He repeated his tipping motion. Having a human name was novel.

<Wait, you don’t feel weight and you have a heated back?!> Sulfie asked, wagging her tail excitedly. <C-can I ride you when she’s done?>

<I don’t see why not,> Otto replied. <I’ve never borne a passenger before, so it should be fun for us both to try.>

“Tell you what, Otto,” Amara said. “I don’t wanna kick you out or drag you along. If you’re still here when I wake up in the morning, I’m catching you. Fair?”

Otto gave one more tip yes; this seemed more interesting to him than trying to evolve so he could help in the mine. He would have urged her to just catch him now, but watching her relax against the tree, he figured making her move would be impolite.

<She’s one of the good ones, yes?> he asked the group.

<Of course!> Jade insisted.

<Jade's biased,> Gemini clarified. <But ultimately correct.>

<Amara's good at brushing,> Sulfie chimed in. <But I somehow don’t think that’s relevant to you.>

<Welcome aboard,> JoJo said, reclining against the tree next to Amara. <Right?>

<Yeah,> the Rock-type agreed. <She had me at “Otto”. It’ll be nice to have friends I can actually help out.>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all the writing I've done with Amara, this is only the second time I've had one of her caretakers on screen (the hired help specifically), and the first real conversation she had with one. Watching this dialogue come together and seeing the amazingly informal and vaguely bratty attitude she has with Jordy really painted a picture of a part of her childhood that I had given very little thought to.
> 
> So, I don't know about anyone else, but I love Rolycoly and hate its evolutions. They took a quirky and lovable design and evolved it into Derpface McMinecart and then greyscale Rhyperior with Marge Simpson's head. There were not a lot of 8th Gen visual designs I actively disliked, but those two were pretty high on the list, right under Impidimp and Chewtle. At least Impidimp has the decency to evolve into Morgrem, who is among my favorites visually.
> 
> That being said, one of the joys of writing instead of playing is that I am under no obligation to give two shits about stats and Rolycoly can keep up with the team as is if I so will it. I can also have competent Kricketune, Spinda, Ariados, Unown, and a whole slew of other throwaway Pokémon that I love the designs of and can't use seriously.
> 
> "Welcome to the Black Parade" may seem like either a strange or generically emo choice of song for Amara's father to like, but it was canon one of his favorite songs long before Amara was conceived. The intro and the bridge resonated really well with the character, as well as his ideals, goals, and back story. 
> 
> I promise I will eventually stop being quite so cagey about him, but where his story went is kind of like the plot of Kill la Kill; I feel it's so over-the-top that it simply cannot be told outright and be well-received. So, instead, we get people invested in the cast and slowly work in the elements before unveiling the full scope of ridiculousness.
> 
> On that note, Kill la Kill is the second best magical girl anime I have ever seen behind Madoka Magica, and I highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out. Give it the 3 episode test; episode 3 took me from unsure to hooked, and did the same for all of my friends that I showed it to.
> 
> You can tell I'm up late writing again. Author commentary go brrrrrrrrr.


	11. On a Roll

**Chapter 11 - On a Roll**

* * *

**May 22** **nd**

<WOOOO!> Sulfie yelled as Otto jumped another rock shelf.

“She makes that look so fun,” Amara commented to Jade. “Kinda makes me wish I was small enough to ride, too.”

Jade hissed agreement. She was certainly getting surrounded by interesting Pokémon, to say the least. Everyone seemed to be fast friends, to boot. To some extent that did include her, though trusting new Pokémon to be so close with Amara was taking some getting used to. It wasn’t like they had given Jade any reason to mistrust them, even when she had let her guard down or spilled her deepest secret. But now there were more ways Amara could get hurt, and it was on Jade to protect everyone and make sure nobody did anything to break that trust.

_ Maybe it’s overkill,  _ she thought,  _ But then again Amara is all I have at the end of the day. And my heart can’t take failing to protect the one I love ever again. _

A sudden rustling in the grass made Jade snap to attention and hiss a warning to Otto and Sulfie. She needn’t have bothered; the Pokémon that lunged out announced its presence loudly enough.

“A barking trash bag?” Amara mused as she sized up the Trubbish. “That’s new. Otto, wanna show me what you can do?”

While not the biggest fan of battling, Otto was no stranger to fights and was happy to pull his weight. As soon as Sulfie jumped off, the Rolycoly began to speed around the growling Trubbish. Amara had made a point of going over his moves a bit earlier, so he waited for her mark.

When the trash Pokémon unleashed a cloud of Poison Gas, Amara called, “Will-O-Wisp!”

Orange embers were suddenly alight in the air around Otto, burning away the encroaching gas. With a quick gesture, he sent them spiraling at Trubish, scorching the Poison-type’s plastic-like hide. Not to be dissuaded, Trubbish unleashed a rain of Toxic Spikes, trying to hedge the unicycle Pokémon in so it could close.

“Rapid Spin!”

With a short hop and a twirl, Otto landed himself near the caustic caltrops and blew them away with a series of tiny circles along the ground. Riding the momentum he had created, he jetted off and hopped up onto another layer of rock. Swerving sharply, he sprayed a Mud-Slap directly into his opponent’s eyes.

Trubbish let out a deep bark of frustration, finally just spraying gouts of Sludge in a vain attempt to catch Otto’s speeding form. The Mud-Slaps continued as the Rolycoly literally ran circles around his opponent. It was time to end things, he figured.

As if on cue, Amara issued one final command. “Ancient Power!”

Trubbish yipped in alarm as it heard rumbling. Though blurry, it could just barely make out the orange light of Otto’s eye amid a field of round stones that yanked themselves free of the ground. With no other recourse, Trubbish turned and ran, only to be pelted relentlessly in the back until it collapsed unconscious.

“Nice job!” Amara praised, running up to pet her Pokémon. “You’re a natural!”

* * *

It was far brighter than Amara expected inside the Galar Mine, but that was mostly due to the abundance of electric lighting. It was still objectively dim, but she was nonetheless thankful to not be draining poor Siri’s battery with the flashlight app. A smattering of workers sparsely populated the path, but not as many as she expected. It struck Amara as odd, going on worrisome, until she realized that most of the laborers were probably deeper underground.

Jade kept a close vigil, keeping watch while her Trainer oohed and ahhed at the various crystals in the walls and carts, and glowered at any of the men whose gazes lingered too long on Amara’s pert behind. Thankfully, the girl didn’t draw as much attention as Jade suspected she would, which somehow just irked her further. The Servine had to take a moment to remind herself to stay rational; not everyone was smart enough to realize the most beautiful human in the world was walking by.

_ I honestly had no idea what to expect out here with other humans, _ she thought.  _ I suppose there’s no course of action they could take that wouldn’t ruffle my leaves until I got used to it. _

Amara looked down, realizing that her partner seemed a million miles away. “Everything cool, Jade?”

The Pokémon nodded vigorously, trying not to worry the girl unduly. She was, after all, just being neurotic. In just a scant 10 days, her life had been upheaved in ways that made moving out of the house seem tame, and she really had no clue how to make herself feel less stressed about the whole ordeal. Wishing Amara would get a clue and help her blow off steam wasn’t helping, either.

“You wanna rest, girl?” the Trainer asked, sounding concerned. “You’ve been working yourself a lot lately. I know you hate the Ball, but…”

Jade did hate the idea of being in her Ball, but it still sounded like a much-needed opportunity to lower her guard and relax. Her displeasure at her own acquiescence was plainly visible in her maroon eyes, and she still refused to be recalled without Amara being guarded. Adamantly, she tapped Gemini’s Moon Ball with a vinetip until her Trainer got the message and sent out the Girafarig.

<Your turn to watch,> Jade informed him matter-of-factly. <I’m gonna try to rest.>

<You’d better,> he asserted. <I don’t think I’ve seen you go into your Ball without getting recalled in battle and you’re always either hyper alert or passed out. Takes a toll; just ask the tail.>

<I didn’t ask for admonishments,> she hissed.

<Tough,> he shot back, stamping one hoof down. <You have teammates now. Let us help. I doubt burning yourself out helps anyone, least of all Amara.>

Amara glanced between the two, wondering what the heck kind of conversation they were having. She kept both of their Balls at the ready in case it became prudent to recall them. Admittedly, the girl was unsure if simply confining her Pokémon for disagreeing was the right way to handle it; she was still getting used to having more than one in the first place.

<You know I can still cram a Leaf Storm down your throat so far your tail spits it out, right?> Jade warned.

<I do, but I also know you won’t because I’m right,> he countered, adjusting so he could fix all four eyes on the Servine. Softening his tone, he added, <Seriously, we got her. You rest up so we can all stop worrying about you, k?>

A giggle from Amara startled them both, causing all three heads to look her way.

“He’s probably right, you know,” she chastised Jade, playfully. “I’d bet my bottom PokéDollar he was just on you for trying to shoulder everything yourself.”

It warmed Jade’s heart almost as much as it made her want to scream. Amara was always so quick to understand her with most things; they’d been together nine long years, after all. Of course, the  _ one  _ thing the Trainer couldn’t seem to wrap her head around properly was a doozy.

Not willing to give her Starter a chance to argue, Amara followed immediately with, ”Jade, return.”

Gemini gave her one last reassuring nod as the beam hit her. Once Jade was safely stowed on Amara’s belt, he nuzzled the girl and lowed softly.

“Yeah, I worry about her, too,” Amara confessed.

As she hugged the Girafarig gently around his neck, a feeling coursed through her. It seemed to surge through her whole body before coalescing just above her breast.

“Dude,” she whispered, taking the glowing pendant from inside her shirt. “Wanna try something cool?”

* * *

Much to their mutual chagrin, Amara and Gemini found themselves out of sync by the time they happened upon a wild Diglett to practice on. The light would spark intermittently, but was insufficient to provide the Girafarig with Z-Power. The pair was forced to stop to rest after fending off Diglett, a Swoobat, and a Timburr; each attempt still took a toll on Amara’s stamina.

“It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong, really,” she explained to her concerned Pokémon, “It’s just that we have to be extremely synchronized. Like more than usual for a Z-Move.”

Gemini tried nodding along, but could not stop his tail from cocking in visible confusion.

“Oh, right,” Amara realized aloud. “So, short form, there are regions where Trainers can use crazy powerful evolutions or moves via emotional synchronization and energized things. My crystal is one of those. It’s special, but it’s trickier to use  _ and _ we have to physically touch.”

Understanding the task a bit better, Gemini was eager to try once more as soon as Amara was good to stand. A passing miner was the perfect sparring partner. As his Roggenrola hit the field, Amara grinned wickedly.

“Hey, any emotion will do, right?” she asked, mostly rhetorically, and flashed a wicked smirk.

Gemini glanced back at her, curious what she had in mind. The miner watched in awkward silence as the girl stepped forward and whispered something in the giraffe Pokémon’s ear. Whatever it was, it made Gemini’s eyes widen and caused his tail to stare with rapt fascination. He shifted his hind legs uncomfortably.

“You guys good to go?” the Miner asked, only sounding a little impatient.

Amara walked back, light passing from her to Gemini as she ran her hand along his flank. “Oh, yeah!”

“Roggenrola, open with Sand Attack!”

Touching her temple and slowly extending her other hand in front of her, Amara retorted, “Gemini, use Shattered Psyche!”

Blinking twice, the miner asked, “Use what?”

Gemini’s eyes squinted shut under the spray of grit from his opponent, then shot back open, aglow with golden fire. With a subtle jerk of his head, he lifted Roggenrola into the air and slammed the geode Pokémon into an invisible wall. Before he could make a followup, his tail realized that it could also control the attack. Cackling, the round head bobbed wildly above Gemini’s rear, sending the hapless Roggenrola hurtling into barrier after barrier. With a decisive stomp, the attack ended, sending the Rock-type crashing through a wall of energy with a horrid shattering noise and depositing it at its Trainer’s feet.

Panting softly from exertion, Amara locked eyes with the miner. “Next Pokémon?”

“All out!” he lied as he hurriedly recalled Roggenrola.

* * *

Jade was still not well-rested by the time Amara began to pitch camp on Route 4, but at least she was better than she had been. Seeing that her Trainer had been fine under Gemini’s watch did much to set her at ease.

<How long have you been able to do that Z thing with her?> Gemini asked as he held the tent steady with Telekinesis.

<A while,> Jade replied, tossing another stake to JoJo. <She’s had that particular gift from her father for years.>

<So what is that pendant, anyway?> he pressed.

Chortling softly, Jade shook her head. <You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.>

“You look better,” Amara cut in, squatting down to pet the Servine gently. “Rest well?”

Jade just shrugged as best she could. To some extent, it felt like the previous five minutes had done more for her state of mind than the hours in her Ball. At the present rate, though, she was cautiously optimistic that perhaps she could entrust Amara to her new companions from time to time.

“Well, either way I’m glad you’re less stressed out,” Amara said quietly, punctuating with a kiss on Jade’s forehead. “I’mma start dinner now, ok?”

Blushing, Jade nodded slowly. She knew the girl hadn’t meant anything romantic by that, but it still made her heart skip a few beats. She didn’t realize how swept up in the moment she had been until she noticed JoJo walking out from behind her with the remaining couple stakes.

<O-oh, sorry!> she stammered.

<You’re fine,> the Darumaka assured her. <Nice to see you look happy for a moment, anyway.>

Jade’s mouth hung open at that. Was she really that high-strung normally?

* * *

**March 23** **rd**

It had been a long, meandering, and uneventful trek down Route 4. Now Amara found herself in Turffield, wandering the gently sloping dirt roads. With the sun threatening to set, the foot traffic was sparse at best, which suited her fine. She was still content to take the whole human socialization thing nice and slow. The thought that she’d soon have to contend with a whole stadium full of rowdy spectators actually paying attention to her was still a bit nerve-wracking. But, that was a tomorrow sort of problem; she had errands to do today.

She dropped a decent chunk of her meager winnings on food. Turffield had a few nearby farms, and the produce selection was absolutely astounding. It took Amara a lot of willpower (and some annoyed prodding from Jade) to not spend all of her money, especially when she found a charming old couple selling Leppa cider. Ultimately the girl was able to restrain herself somewhat, though buying a pint bottle was simply non-negotiable.

It slowly dawned on Amara just how far removed she really was as she forced herself to ask passersby for directions. These were firsts to her, even though she had celebrated her fifteenth birthday almost two months prior. Even something as pedestrian as asking random strangers how to get to a drug store was new and scary. She hid it well behind a sweet smile and confident stride, of course. It simply wouldn’t do for people to wonder how she was so new to regular life.

Once she had found the store itself, she was relieved to see that it was nearly bereft of other people. Given that the three she spotted were dressed the same, Amara supposed she was the only customer. With nobody to interrupt her browsing, she wandered the aisles slowly, simultaneously taking in the plethora of products she had never known existed and scanning for the items she actually needed. A fresh box of dimenhydrinate was easy enough for her to spot, but the other item on her list eluded her. Having no idea where to look exacerbated the issue somewhat.

“Miss, is there anything I can help you find?” a soft female voice asked from behind her.

Amara literally jumped in surprise before turning to face the woman. She wore a pleasant smile and a pale blue shirt with a nametag that read, “Shannon”. Flushing deeply, Amara began flailing for a response, but between being startled, nervous, and embarrassed, her mind had just gone blank from panic.

“Uh, you know, I…was looking for…the stuff?” she stammered, trying to remember the word. “The…wet stuff?”

Shannon’s pleasant demeanor never faltered; Amara was far from the first customer to get too flustered to ask for something or have a brain fart. She wasn’t sure if offering a suggestion would actually help, but she assumed walking away now would just humiliate the Trainer further.

“Wet stuff?” she asked evenly. “What sort?”

“The, um, glidey wet stuff?” Amara managed, sliding a finger between the thumb and forefinger of her left hand in a crude gesture; the fact that they wouldn’t flex enough to touch at that moment just flustered her more. When it appeared the employee was about to ask for further clarification, she blurted, “For my butt.”

Only able to contain her laughter through years of practice, Shannon pointed and told her, “Personal lubricants are in 4b, way on the bottom shelf. Easy to miss. Would you like me to show you?”

Wide-eyed and flushing Cherubi red, Amara hurriedly replied, “Please don’t!”

As she scurried off to the indicated aisle, she prayed that this would be the most she regretted what she had whispered to Gemini the previous day. Compared to the now-monumental task of checking out, trying to take a giraffe cock in her back door seemed so much less daunting. As she selected a large bottle from the shelf, Amara decided to pick up a few more things to take focus off the lube.

Though she checked out with motion sickness pills, painkillers, an energy drink, a couple rolls of gauze and tape, and an assortment of ointments and Antidotes, nothing Amara placed on the counter kept the cashier’s eyes off the bottle. Though he said nothing, Amara decided that she would never ever show her face there again lest she literally melt from sheer embarrassment.

_ At least I don’t have to tell him what I’m doing with it,  _ she told herself, though it was somewhat cold comfort; she had no idea if what the guy was imagining was better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, I am alive! Dreadfully sorry about the impromptu hiatus. I sure as hell didn't mean to foof out of existence for nearly three weeks. It started with a tiny bit of writer's block, then real life kept happening. 
> 
> And somehow, after weeks of absence, I have very little to say on this chapter. It's mostly only there to set scenes for later. Though, full disclosure, I did not go into this one expecting Jade to be burning herself out trying to be that vigilant. Hopefully it'll be good for some character development as we go along. No sense in having a two-dimensional unrequited lover, right?


	12. Not Quite as Planned

**Chapter 12 - Not Quite as Planned**

* * *

Taking a few calming breaths, she stared intently at the other girl and assured her, “You can do this, Amara Rogue. It’s no big deal.”

Unsurprisingly, the girl in the mirror looked precisely as unconvinced as Amara felt. She and her reflection sighed in tandem. Amara once again took the opportunity to examine her naked body. There were a few fresh bite marks dotting her torso from what little foreplay she’d gotten in with Gemini before darting into the bathroom. She ran her hand gently over her stomach, somewhat unable to believe that the knot of dread she felt in there wasn’t visibly bulging through her soft skin.

The door thudded softly, as though something had bumped it, and soon a concerned lowing sound followed. Gemini headbutted the door again, needing to make sure his Trainer was alright; she had excused herself from their mating quite abruptly.

This. This was why she always dove headlong into things. She’d just given herself too much time to think about it, and the sheer craziness of what she’d agreed to do was looming over her, chilling her more than being naked in the cool tile room.

_ Just think of how awesome it’ll be, _ she reminded herself.  _ Everything else you managed to not overthink was a blast. Do it! _

Amara nodded at her own internal monologue. The Amara inside her head was right! This wasn’t any crazier than drenching herself in Gemini’s cum and then masturbating outside like that, hoping to get caught by passing wild Pokémon. And she had loved every second of that! This line of thinking was definitely going in the right direction.

_ And just think about what happened the last time you let your thoughts get in the way, _ she chided herself.  _ You’re still upset about not taking that step with Jade! _

“OK, that officially went in the wrong direction,” she mumbled. As the door thudded again, she realized she had never answered her Girafarig. “Sorry, buddy! I’m coming out now!”

Both of Gemini’s heads stared at her with looks of concern as she emerged from the bathroom, something she had not yet seen from his tail. As she made her way to the bed, Gemini stopped her with a gentle press of his nose and a quiet moo. The message was clear.

“I appreciate it, but I’m not backing out,” she told him. “I promised, and I don’t go back on my word with my Pokémon.”

Jade grimaced a bit at that. Amara had been clear those years ago, when she said it would be one night only so as not to make things weird. She’d certainly upheld at least the first half of that, and her efforts to keep things like they always had been were somewhere between adorable and maddening. It was just a small comment, but it made her wonder if she’d missed her chance by not pushing then, or even a week ago when Amara finally had given up on confining her during intimate moments. She pushed such thoughts from her mind as best she could; she wanted to enjoy this show.

As she knelt on the bed, Amara told Gemini, “I just need to prep myself. Um, I hope you like watching.”

After getting a pair of approving nods from the Pokémon, she got in position: face down, ass up. Her nervousness hadn’t done much to curb her need, a fact that she was reminded of as her sensitive nipples brushed against the cool bedsheet. Grabbing the bottle of lube from the nightstand, she put a dollop of the cool liquid on her fingers. It was somehow not as viscous as she’d expected; it was the difference between water- and oil-based, she supposed.

Growing up in such isolation, she’d never gotten to sneak out for “personal products” for any of her self-exploration. Ordering online hadn’t even been an option, for so, so many reasons. Suffice it to say, this was entirely new to her.

“Does this stuff help that much?” she wondered aloud. Adding a bit more to her fingers, she let it drip onto her awaiting rosebud. “Oh, Giratina’s tits! That’s freezing!”

The next few minutes were spent massaging the clear liquid around her skin to restore warmth. Once she was satisfied, she applied another drop to her index and middle fingers, rubbing it around with her thumb to get it to a suitable temperature for penetration. Amused by how easily the digits glided against each other, Amara perhaps spent more time than was strictly necessary on that task. 

Eventually, it was time for the moment of truth. She reached back, tracing her middle finger around her ass like usual. She shuddered a bit at the teasing stimulation it gave her, and impatiently began to apply pressure.

“Oh,” she gasped as she penetrated herself with far less effort than expected. Slowly, she began to work the lubricated digit in and out of her tight hole. “Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhh…”

Amara had always enjoyed anal masturbation, though with only her own “personal lubricant” to work with, it was a lot of effort. Now, with the added ease of motion afforded by the slick lube, she was loosening herself up in record time. She hardly recalled picking up speed; she had just done so with no real thought. Before she knew it, she was teasing a second fingertip at her sensitive sphincter, ready to stretch herself out.

Gemini stood there, slack-jawed twice over, and breathing hard from both sides. His cock was at almost painful attention as he soaked in the lewd spectacle his Trainer was putting on for him, and a clear rivulet of precum dripped off of his member and onto the cheap hotel carpet.

The chorus of ecstatic intonations did not let up any over the next few minutes as Amara wormed her index finger all the way inside her anus. Quite the opposite, in fact; they gave way to needy whimpers likely sufficient to alert the nearby rooms of the girl’s building climax.

It took effort to dredge up words through the haze of sensation, but she did manage to choke out, “L-lick me!”

Since she was in no state to object this time, Gemini’s tail insistently maneuvered his hind legs into position and cocked to the side so as not to interfere with the Trainer’s fingers. Gemini kept a close eye on it to make sure it didn’t bite down too hard as its broad tongue darted out from amid razor teeth. Amara gasped in shock at the half-circle of pinprick sensations flanking her flushed sex, tensing up nervously. The tongue was rougher in texture than Gemini’s upper one. The protrusions along it were mercifully softer than a Meowth’s, but still enough that the feeling of them dragging over her parted labia was utterly alien.

She flinched a bit at initial shock of the tongue’s abrasiveness, but did not object for the moment. Soon, she was very glad she didn’t; after the initial shock of that texture wore off, she could feel every bump titillating her, lighting up her nerve endings in new and exciting ways.

Heedless of who might hear at this point, Amara egged her Pokémon on between ecstatic outcries, “Good boy! Bite me harder; mark me as your bitch! Make me cum and you can claim my little asshole as yours!”

Gemini shuddered and lowed softly at the thought. Somewhere near the back of his mind, he wondered if Amara’s sudden turns in behavior were her compensating for her nervousness in the bedroom, or even just in general. It was a conversation he’d sorely wish he could have with her later, but in the moment he was too distracted by the voracious slurping of his tail and the frenzied pistoning of Amara’s fingers to care.

Her orgasm hit hard and suddenly, accompanied by a breathy shriek of depraved pleasure. Amara collapsed limply on the bed, chest heaving against the sheet as she tried to get her lungs working in at least some semblance of normalcy again. Gemini’s tail grinned, clearly proud of itself.

A wet nose against her flank was the only thing that kept Amara from passing out then and there. Gemini didn’t blame her for wanting to nap in her post-orgasmic haze, but the girl had gotten him far too worked up to wait. Plus, he had no idea how long she’d be stretched and ready for.

“Mmm, one sec,” she mumbled, lazily petting his snout.

Once she’d mustered a little energy, Amara sat up and grabbed the lube bottle. Not wishing to inflict her mistake on her poor Pokémon, she rubbed a large dollop of the goop between her palms to warm it up before playfully applying it to her Girafarig’s erection. Given how thoroughly her hands were coated, simply gripping his shaft and smearing it down his length was most practical. She alternated hands, gyrating them a bit to make sure the entirety of the giraffe’s member was covered. The end result was halfway between a handjob and milking his cock; long mooing sounds let her know that he heartily approved of this.

The nervousness was sinking back in as the moment of truth approached, not helped at all by the very concrete realization that Gemini was notably thicker than even two of her fingers. Assuring herself it would be fine, Amara once again assumed the position, wiggling her hips invitingly at her Pokémon.

“Nice and gentle, ok?” she urged.

Gemini’s initial mounting attempt did not work so well. The feeling of his glans gliding against her warm, slick skin distracted him enough that he couldn’t keep a good enough hold with Telekinesis; his cock slipped into an awkward thrust between her cheeks as a result. Inhaling deeply and focusing himself, he tried one more time, egged on by gentle pleas from Amara.

Amara gritted her teeth as the bulbous head of Gemini’s cock began to pry her sphincter open. It was all she could do to not yelp in pain, and she couldn’t stop tears from welling up in the corners of her eyes with each agonizing press inward.

“Ah!” she grunted, nails digging into the sheets. “Maybe just put it in all the way and it won’t be as bad? Kinda like ripping off a bandage?”

Hilting himself in her rear was not something Gemini needed to be asked twice to do, though the strained cry that escaped Amara’s lips was not a great sign. She could be heard breathing raggedly through her nose, as she bit her bottom lip firmly to avoid another outburst. He sincerely hoped that he could continue without hurting her any more; the tight grip of her rear passage along his shaft was heavenly, but not worth torturing his Trainer.

After a full minute, Amara’s breathing steadied. “I think I’m getting used to it. Try moving a bit?”

Gently nuzzling the girl’s shoulder, Gemini withdrew his length slightly and pushed gingerly back in. He could feel her body tense up worse than before, and her biting hard on her knuckle to keep quiet was not a great sign. Still, she didn’t tell him to stop, so he made a couple more tentative thrusts before she vigorously shook her head.

“Gods, I was wrong! Take it out!” she begged.

Amara yelped as he hurriedly retreated from inside her. Her knees finally gave out, and she fell slack, whimpering softly. The pain was a lot more persistent than she’d hoped it would be, to boot. More than anything, though, she felt terrible that she hadn’t been able to give herself to Gemini the way she had promised.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered over and over as she struggled to catch her breath.

The Girafarig, admittedly with a little psychic help, nudged her onto her back. He pressed his nose to Amara’s, staring directly at her. She saw no disappointment or anger in his gaze; there was, however, concern abound. Blushing slightly, she reached up to pet him with both hands and finally noticed that the knuckle on her left that she’d been biting down on was gently trickling blood. She wasn’t sure if she hadn’t noticed because of the other pain or because it was her left side.

“I guess I’m gonna have to practice a bit more,” she commented as she brought the wounded finger to her lips.

Gemini was pleased to see her smiling once she was done sucking on the bite. It lacked that usual cocky air he’d come to expect from her. It felt more genuine this way, like she was okay being vulnerable around him. His heart swelled as he basked in the tender moment with her; it was a side he got to see so rarely. He was especially curious what she had to say as she sat up and brushed her lips against his ear.

Her tone was gentle and sincere as she whispered, “I will not be satisfied until you can pound my ass as hard as you want.”

Recoiling in surprise, Gemini just stared at her. Amara’s expression was still tender and warm, though the smile was decidedly more lascivious than it had been moments earlier. The combined effect left him totally unsure what to make of the last few minutes.

<She does that,> Jade commented knowingly as she hopped up onto the bed with painkillers and a small water bottle.

“Oh, thanks!” Amara said, petting the Servine’s head gently.

She gratefully popped two of the tablets in her mouth, very thankful she’d gotten the rapid release kind, and washed them down with a much-needed swig of water. She needed to remember to keep water closer at hand when she was having sex; it seemed trivially easy to get dehydrated during the act. As she handed the bottles back to Jade, she noticed Gemini shifting his hind legs uncomfortably.

She didn’t want to leave him, but she wasn’t really in the mood to be penetrated after that, and between the lube and where his cock had just been, sucking him off didn’t exactly appeal to her, either. Scooting back a bit on the bed, Amara reclined a bit and lifted her legs up, wiggling her toes in a wordless offer to her Pokémon.

Gemini was not going to decline another round with his Trainer’s talented feet. He eagerly reared up, putting his forelegs on the bed so she had easy access. The lube was a huge boon for this, letting her easily tease his throbbing cock with the toes and ball of one foot while the other held it steady. Within minutes, both of his heads were moaning loudly, and his hips were bucking almost of their own volition.

With a playful giggle, Amara just pressed her arches on either side of her Pokémon’s dick, letting him fuck her feet with wild abandon. She just wrapped her arms beneath her legs for support and enjoyed the show. It was weirdly hot watching Gemini’s oddly shaped glans poke out from between her feet, and she found herself moaning softly in anticipation of once again being soaked in his hot cum.

She was in the middle of debating changing her grip on him when the first spurt came, painting a warm line of white up her belly. Amara eagerly closed her eyes and opened her mouth, trying to point Gemini’s cock a little higher. Ropes of his spunk landed on her breasts, across her face, and all over the bed. Very little actually made into her waiting mouth, but she did swallow it eagerly. Teasing it just a bit more with her toes, she watched Gemini’s deflating shaft slowly withdraw into its sheath.

“I’d ask if it was good for you, but I’m kinda wearing your answer,” she giggled, petting Gemini gently. “C’mon, let’s put in for clean sheets and grab a shower. Maybe you can eat me out again?”

Gemini nodded contentedly; that sounded like a wonderful way to end the evening.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter title works on multiple levels. I had planned to have a short scene about the difficulties of having anal sex with a friggin' giraffe when you've never taken anything bigger than a finger, and then move on to her Gym challenge with Milo. Of course, the scene ran long, and I had real life stuff to do, so Milo can wait a bit. I'm eager to get to that point, but there is just no sense in rushing the story.
> 
> Honestly, not too much else to say here. I'm just glad people are still with me after I couldn't get anything done for like a month.


	13. Green Light

**Chapter 13 - Green Light**

* * *

**March 24** **th**

Amara shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she took another bite of crumpet. She’d never had crumpets before, and where better to try them than Galar? Though it had mostly been a novelty purchase, she was glad she’d ordered it. The crumpet was toasty and light, and butter and Bluk Berry jam soaked into all of the nooks and crannies of its porous top. It was an indulgent addition to the mocha latte she’d treated herself to.

“I should have known you’d love restaurants and cafés,” Cassandra remarked, smiling as she watched Amara take another ravenous bite. “So many new things.”

“Mmm-hmm!” she agreed through a mouthful of breakfast cake.

Meanwhile, Jade helped herself to another bite of muffin and washed it down with a sip of tea. It was piping hot, and not as floral as she was used to, but she found herself rather liking it. She was, per usual, feigning disinterest but keeping one eye on Amara and one on their surroundings. It was taking effort not to react to Amara having to adjust how she was sitting so frequently, however. Thankfully for Amara, a smug smirk was generally viewed as Jade's default expression.

“Ok, I have to ask,” Cassandra said at last. “Why are you sitting like that?”

Flushing Cheri red, Amara hastily lied, “Bruised my tailbone on Route 3. Stupid rocks.”

“That’s a mighty strong color for falling on your butt,” the caretaker pointed out, taking a drink of soda to mask her knowing smirk.

“Cass!” Amara whined. “Please don’t make weird assumptions!”

“Chill out, girl,” she chuckled. “My lips were sealed that time I walked in on you watching tentacle hentai, and they’re still sealed now.”

“Good,” grumbled Amara. “But I thought we agreed to never speak of that again.”

“ _You_ declared we wouldn’t,” Cass reminded her. “ _I_ , on the other hand, made sure I could lord it over you if you acted up.”

Out of her various caretakers, Cass had put the most effort into being approachable. She said she wanted Amara to have an adult in her life she could trust unconditionally and free of judgment. Of course, the offer being open didn’t magically make Amara spill her guts, but the candor between them was nice nonetheless.

“So, what’d you call me for?” Amara asked, not wanting to linger on that topic.

“Nothing,” Cass told her with a shrug. “It was about check-in time and I was hungry. So here we are.”

Mulling it over, Amara declared, “I believe you a lot more than I bought Jordy’s attempts to act natural about it.”

“Hey, lay off him!” Cass scolded, albeit playfully. “He may be about as inconspicuous as a Hariyama hiding behind a lamppost, but he really does care.”

“I know you all do,” Amara admitted softly, smiling warmly.

Cass smiled back, but knew that this was too sentimental for Amara's tastes. She counted down on her fingers under the table.

Sure enough, nearly on cue Amara added, “Pretty sure Dad yeeted anyone who didn’t like me enough.”

“That’s a…colorful image,” Cass mused; she could picture him literally having people thrown out the door for perceived disrespect towards his daughter.

“I kid,” Amara assured her. “I am like, 70-80% certain that Dad never threw any of you up the waterfall.”

“By the Tapu, don’t even joke about that,” Cass shuddered. “Guess I will need more caffeine to deal with you. Want anything while I’m up?”

“Get me some of those chocolate-dipped biscotti!” Amara instructed.

Noticing how long the line was, Amara grabbed Siri off her belt and began to browse. She giggled at a couple of memes as she flipped through an image site, but soon a comment thread grabbed her attention. How could it not? Mewtwo is a name that sticks out, especially in heated discussion punctuated by memes.

Thankfully, Amara wasn’t the only one late to the party and lacking context. A helpful commenter had provided a link to a news article so a few others could catch up on the situation. Amara clicked it and began to read, her brow furrowing in annoyance as she went.

The Church of Arceus had once again issued a statement. For once, it had nothing to do with Port Renegade’s talks with the governments of other regions. No, this time, scientists were conducting research into what had gone awry during the Mewtwo project, and the Church wanted this nipped in the bud before “humans once again make the mistake of playing God.”

The priest speaking had gone on to say that the Church took umbrage with any human attempt to modify Pokémon, such as Mewtwo, Genesect, or the highly controversial Type: Full project that had been exposed publicly around the time Lillie Quintel challenged the Kanto League. According to the article, while the church’s official position ended there, a substantial minority among their followers took things a step further, decrying fully synthetic Pokémon like Porygon. Some even demanded that the legend of Magearna no longer be told to children lest it encourage them to embrace these “twisted mockeries of Arceus’ creation”.

A plate with a couple biscotti arranged neatly on it clattered on the wooden table, startling Amara and getting a hearty laugh from Cass. “You were growling like a feral Poochyena. What’s up?”

“This hate that the followers of His Llamaness are spewing,” Amara lamented, rolling her eyes. “Starts with this Mewtwo kerfuffle and just doesn’t stop. Some of them are saying that Pokémon like Electvire shouldn't be considered ‘true’ Pokémon because they evolved from manmade items. A couple of them even sent death threats to the scientist that made that nifty ice bird fossil Gloria had on her team because she put it together ‘wrong’.”

Cass took a long sip of her cola, mulling it all over before finally replying, “Yikes.”

“I wish people would stop getting bent out of shape,” Amara sighed. “Life that originates from a lab is still alive, you know!”

“I get it,” Cass assured her, trying to place a calming hand on Amata’s. 

Amara immediately recoiled her left hand from Cass’ touch, looking very startled. “Sorry! It’s a bit numb today. That felt super weird.”

“My bad,” Cass apologized, holding both hands up. “I shoulda known better.”

There was no verbal response from Amara; the girl merely hugged her bad arm to her chest and sulked. Anyone who’d spent more than two weeks with Amara could tell what was going through her head.

“Hey, happier topics,” Cass declared, trying to break her out of her funk before it got bad. “You wanna go sightseeing? Take it easy today and challenge the Gym tomorrow?”

“What?” Amara demanded, snapping to attention. “Why the heck would I put it off?”

“So maybe you aren’t walking suspiciously bow-legged in front of an audience on national television,” Cass pointed out with a grin.

Amara shook her head. “Cass, I’ll be fine.”

* * *

The hard wooden bench of the prep area really had Amara wishing she had taken it easy as suggested. She had no real idea what to make of her discomfort; it was really the sort of thing where she wasn’t sure if she expected less or more pain, but the amount she had didn’t sit right. Pun intended, she supposed.

Thinking of how badly it could have ended getting pounded in the rear by a large quadruped, she had to remind herself, _I_ _probably got off easy_. Realizing exactly what she’d thought, she couldn’t help but chuckle aloud, “Heh, phrasing.”

Milo was still getting a huge number of challengers, so Amara had to wait in the prep room after she’d gotten changed. There was a TV to make the process less tedious, but it wasn’t set to coverage of the Gym match, presumably to keep challengers from seeing the current obstacles or Milo’s team. It was instead playing reruns of that weird cartoon about an idiot Trainer from Pallet Town. which she largely drowned out. She’d seen this episode at least 5 times, anyway. She could practically count the seconds until Team Rocket unveiled themselves predictably, and didn't have to look to answer "Who's that Pokémon?" as the show went to commercial.

_Did you or a loved one participate in the Dynamax Adventure program? Have you experienced symptoms of dementia, memory loss, or impaired ability to think and reason during or since? You may be entitled to financial compensation. Call G. T. Bentworth today!_

The narrator reading off the phone number was drowned out by a voice from the door. “Challenger Brighton?”

Amara shot up from the bench. “That’s me!”

“If you’re ready, come on out.”

A League employee with a clipboard led her onto the grass of the stadium field, introducing himself as Turffield’s Gym guide. Amara inhaled sharply as she saw just how many cameras were on her. At least in Motostoke, the spotlights on the pitch had obscured the audience from view somewhat. Conceptually, she of course knew there could be so many people in one place. Seeing this horde of Rotom was a whole other matter; it really drove home how many people she’d be seen by. She took a few deep breaths, trying her best to ignore the existence of the crowd.

“OK, before we get started, I wanna do a mic check,” the Gym guide said. “Make sure the audience and commentators can hear you.”

So much for that.

After hooking her up, he instructed, “Just try letting the people know who you are, ok?”

“Um,” Amara started, trying to stay calm. She jumped when her tentative voice echoed over the sound system. _Stay cool,_ she told herself. _Be unflappable. Make Dad proud._

It was easier if she took this like a battle. She wasn’t dealing with people; she just had a challenge in front of her that she needed to get past. That was doable, right? Her lips curled into a cocky smirk as she slipped into the new mindset. It would take more than a horde of rowdy spectators to make her back down now.

“I’m challenger #487,” she proclaimed for all to hear. “My name is Amara Rogue!”

The tips of her ears flushed slightly red as just her introduction sent cheers through the stands that echoed even into the mission hall, but she didn’t let herself falter any more. She had this.

The Gym guide then showed her how to turn the mic off with a button in the palm of her glove, and showed her a subtle gesture: he swiveled his wrist back and forth a bit with his index and middle finger a bit more extended than the others.

“That’s a signal for somebody else to cut their mic,” he explained. “We have a more formal version, mostly for reprimands, that’s that in front of the neck, but if you just do the little one the Rotom will back off and the Gym Leader will cut theirs. If you see it, turn yours off. We use the little one so we can speak more privately without making a scene.”

Amara nodded along. “Makes sense. Does it matter which hand?”

“Nope,” he replied. “Why, you lefty?”

“Kinda sorta,” she shrugged. “Long story. So, what’s the challenge here?”

Turning his own mic on, the guide explained to the whole stadium. “Turffield's Gym mission is thus: you have to pass through three gates. At each one, you will be shown a sequence that you need to unlock it and a group of marked Oddish. Pluck the Oddish in the correct order to proceed. Do you understand?”

Clicking her palm button, Amara let her voice ring out over the speakers. “Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Arriving at the first gate, Amara was surprised to see just how large the Grass-types were. They were easily 2-3 times the size of a regular Oddish, it seemed; perhaps they were imported Totem breeds. Turning her attention to the actual mission, she noted that they were all wearing silver pendants in assorted strange shapes. The Pokémon ran around, turned one more time to face her, and abruptly sank into the ground. Behind them, she could now see a sign showing a sequence of five shapes.

“Easy-peasy,” she muttered, walking up to the first one. Taking a firm grip with her right hand, she tried to tug it to no avail. “Hm. That is a big chonker Oddish…”

A few more attempts did not help, nor did asking the Pokémon to surface. Amara sighed and strode back across the grass to the Gym guide, waving two fingers slightly as he’d shown her and silencing her own mic as she went.

“Funny thing,” she said, sheepishly. “That long story I mentioned includes the fact that I’m not supposed to lift more than 5 pounds with my left arm because of an injury. Same reason I have the brace.”

After an ensuing discussion, the guide’s voice once again rang out over the PA. “Challenger Brighton shall receive accommodation as described in Section 3.17 of the Galar Pokémon League rules! She will henceforth be permitted to use one or more Pokémon to progress through Gym missions. However! To still pose a challenge, any Pokémon she uses to progress in a mission may _not_ be chosen to battle Gym Trainers or the Gym Leader. Challenger Brighton, please continue.”

This was certainly a mixed bag. Amara only had two Pokémon on her that she figured could lift the monstrous Oddish, and Gemini she was only mostly sure could manage with Telekinesis. She had to make a choice. If Gemini couldn’t, she would have given up one of her most powerful battlers for nothing. On the other hand, her sure bet was her only Fire-type in a Grass Gym.

“Jade’s got this,” she muttered to herself before letting the audience hear, “Go, JoJo!”

With a few quick gestures, Amara directed the Darumaka to pluck the first three Oddish. The rotund Grass-types yelped in surprise and flailed their feet once hefted out of their burrows by JoJo’s surprisingly strong arms. Now there were three empty dirt-lined holes, and two sets of leaves sticking out of the second and fifth positions.

“Heck,” Amara sighed, realizing she’d forgotten which was which. Guessing, she ordered, “Grab the one on the far right!”

Luck was on her side. Once JoJo had uprooted the final Oddish, the gate was open. Amara reached down to high-five him as she walked through, picking carefully through the area so as to not get too much dirt between her exposed toes.

“Pretty nice, but now you get to battle me!” declared a smug-looking girl sporting Milo’s uniform. “Go, Budew!”

Instinctively, Amara readied JoJo’s Repeat Ball before remembering that he was disqualified from battles. Of course, the entire reason she had chosen JoJo was to not risk another of her heavy hitters being disqualified without helping at all. Running her fingers over the cool metal of the Moon Ball, she figured she made the right choice.

“Go, Gemini! Psybeam!”

The poor Budew had not been ready for a Girafarig to come out firing. Its attempt to spread Stun Spore was halted abruptly by the coruscating line of energy rings blazing out from the giraffe Pokémon’s forehead. Teetering awkwardly, it nearly got lined up for another shot before the ground was suddenly very far away. Helplessly, Budew cried out in alarm as Telekinesis unceremoniously flung it over Gemini in an arc.

“Quick!” its Trainer urged. “Use Mega Drain!”

Budew calmed itself and gathered energy. From this range, there was no way its oh-so-bizarre opponent could stop it. It was in Gemini’s blind spot, about to fall right past his tail. Mega Drain would throw him off-balance, and then a cloud of Stun Spore would surely make him collapse helplessly onto the grass. Its Trainer’s plan apparent in an instant, Budew took aim, deciding to look past the ridiculous eyespots on his target’s tail and hit his flank. Only problem was the eyespots were suddenly darting closer.

The tail's Sucker Punch sent Budew skyward again. This time, Gemini trotted around and took a leap, letting his tail spike the little rosebud Pokémon into the stadium ground mercilessly. Gemini landed gracefully at Amara’s side, his victorious lowing echoing over the loudspeaker as her microphone picked it up. Thunderous cheers and applause could be heard in the distance.

“Good boy,” she praised him, petting and nuzzling him affectionately. “Return.”

“I guess that means you get to pass,” the Gym Trainer sighed, gesturing to the next gate.

The next obstacle presented quite similarly to the first. The most notable difference was that the Oddish did not have any distinguishing markings or accessories. They waited patiently for Amara to stop at a line near them. Once the girl was in position, the Oddish all took turns singing a different note and immediately burying themselves. Before the second one planted itself, Amara had her eyes closed and was just focusing on the sound. Several seconds of silence followed the fifth note, and then a mechanical-sounding chime sounded at five different pitches.

“JoJo, it’s 3, 2, 5, 1, 4!” Amara called, pointing to the burrowed leaves in turn.

The gate was open in less than 30 seconds, and a fresh Trainer waited for her, a look of almost hilarious determination on his face. “You won’t get past us! Go, Wormadam!”

“Really regretting having to use my Fire-type to pluck Oddish,” Amara grumbled as she sent Gemini back out. “Stomp!”

“Protect!” the boy ordered. “Then Struggle Bug!”

There was a resounding thump as Gemini’s hoof struck a bluish energy sphere, leaving Wormadam unharmed. As he recoiled from the force of his impact, the green-cloaked Bug-type retaliated by shaking, unleashing strings of sickly green energy that made an unpleasant thrumming sound. If Gemini was learning anything from his time in Galar to date, it was that he really hated that attack. His tail snarled and barked in annoyance as the sensation of crawling bugs infested his fur.

In no mood to prolong this, Gemini connected his hoof squarely between Wormadam’s eyes. She yelped in pain, flinching away from the impact. Before she could recover, the Girafarig simply trampled over her diminutive form. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the snarling visage of his tail spitting at her angrily.

“Nice choice, at least,” Amara complimented the kid. “You don’t see a lot of Wormadam in this League.”

“Uhh, thanks?” he replied uncertainly as he recalled his Pokémon. “You, too, I guess. We don’t see any of whatever the heck that Pokémon is. Anyway, go ahead.”

The final stretch was a little different. Same as before, five Oddish idled in front of a wooden barricade, this one adorned with a white strip and five panels that looked like they lit up. This time, the Oddish all wore brightly colored anklets. Weirder, they didn’t move at all. After a few seconds of observation by Amara, the Grass-types all sank into the ground where they stood.

Before she could make a choice, a Trainer hopped the barricade. “You want to get at the Oddish? Beat me first.”

“Rude,” Amara chuckled. “Gemini, buddy, need you one last time!”

“Go, Nuzleaf!” the new guy called.

 _Well, that is somewhere in the realm of double-plus ungood,_ Amara thought, though her smug visage never wavered. “Gonna need you to try Stomp!”

“Fake Out!”’

Gemini was getting oddly numb to his opening Stomp being stymied. He backed away from the rushing acorn Pokémon, turning his main head out of harm's way. Nuzleaf followed through nonetheless, slapping the tail and recoiling in shock when the tail barked loudly at this affront. Knowing it was open, Gemini wound up for a hind kick to Nuzleaf’s head.

“Night Slash!”

Amara barely saw Nuzleaf move before an arc of blood erupted from Gemini’s rear legs and the Girafarig crashed headfirst into the ground, lowing in agony. The spray of red droplets barely had time to land before Nuzleaf cornered and moved in for the kill.

“Telekinesis!” she shouted decisively. “Buy some space!”

“Crap, Harden!” bellowed the Gym Trainer.

Gemini looked wearily to his tail. They nodded at one another. It was time for the big guns. They’d get one shot. Amara also nodded to them; while she had only seen Gemini use this attack once, it was definitely right for the job. With his injuries, it was taking a bit longer than normal to conjure, but Gemini had afforded himself some time.

A breeze drifted through the previously still air of the Gym. At first it was refreshing, but as it picked up speed, the Gym Trainer realized there was trouble.

“Nuzleaf, get Solar Blade ready!” he ordered; it was the only attack Nuzleaf had with a chance of reaching.

By now a visible cyclone was brewing around Gemini’s bleeding form. He glared with both pairs of eyes at his quarry, unfazed by the gold shimmering of its leaf. The tricky part would be firing; he’d likely lose focus on Telekinesis. So, he had to aim a bit down.

Both Trainers had an impeccable sense of timing, spurring their Pokémon to action with a near-simultaneous call of, “Now!”

Nuzleaf swept its right arm back. A brilliant yellow sunbeam sprang to life around its hand, taking the shape of a wicked katana blade. The Dark-type leapt into action as soon as Telekinesis faltered, using its Harden-reinforced left hand to vault toward Gemini instead of landing. Since the giraffe Pokémon was so badly wounded, Nuzleaf was faster on the draw. With a graceful lunge and a powerful slice, Solar Blade hit its mark before Razor Wind’s tornado could reach.

That was not to say, however, that Razor Wind did not connect. Gemini hadn’t even fallen limp by the time the tempestuous attack engulfed Nuzleaf. A flurry of slash marks began to split open along Nuzleaf’s body as it was launched away. The cuts were painful, and many had gone deeper than it was used to enduring with Harden up, but that wasn’t enough to knock it out. Being launched by the wind and colliding headfirst with the solid oak of the final barricade, on the other hand, had Nuzleaf out cold.

Amara whistled appreciatively as she rushed over to check Gemini’s wounds. “You Galarians do not screw around.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” the guy replied as he watched her spray Potion on Gemini’s legs. “Nuzleaf has stopped more than one challenger in their tracks.”

“Seems a lot for the first Gym,” she remarked.

“Hurdles, not guides, remember?” he responded. Stepping aside, he added, “And you’ve almost cleared this one.”

As he got out of the way, a sequence of colored lights showed up on the gate; Amara was pretty sure it matched the order the five Oddish had been buried in. Now the glowing panels began to scramble their colors before finally settling on a new sequence: orange, blue, purple, yellow, red.

Amara pointed at the Oddish in turn, still tending the gouges on poor Gemini while JoJo plucked the shrieking Grass-types out of their burrows. The gate had clicked open long before Amara was ready to recall Gemini for his well-earned rest.

“You did amazing,” she assured him, hoping he could hear her. “I’m so proud of you.”

The Gym Trainer walked over to her side as she recalled him; she took notice of his quick hand motion and cut her mic so he could ask privately, “Hey, is Gemini gonna be okay? We went at him pretty hard.”

“He’s strong,” Amara beamed. “It’s his turn to be sore for a day, but he’ll be fine.”

“You have a good spirit. That kind of determination and faith in your Pokémon will get you far in this challenge,” he assured Amara, offering a hand to help her to her feet. Back on mic, he informed the spectators, “The mission is complete! Challenger Amara Rogue, you can proceed to the pitch. Milo is waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot tell if I suck at brevity, am bad at estimating word counts, or both. I intended to have Amara fight Milo last chapter. and now what I wanted to form 1/2-2/3 of a chapter is 2 full ones. I'm not mad per se, as long as you guys don't mind reading me dwelling on the littler things.
> 
> Also, meet Cass, a totally fleshed out character who I definitely planned and who most certainly didn't spring into existence like 2 hours before I got writing this chapter! >.>
> 
> For those of you who think that the Galar League's disability accommodation policy is harsh, it is by design. There's a lot of reasons for it that I don't get too far into: some people get salty that people with physical limitations get to use their Pokémon "as a crutch" while healthy people "have to actually try", some will argue that it teaches Trainers to balance how much they rely on their Pokémon for battles vs. day-to-day tasks in the wild, and of course some people wanted a restriction in place so lazy people would get punished for making up a BS excuse to let Machamp do everything for them.
> 
> Anyone who has suffered through the unspeakable Hell that is Dynamax Adventures with AI partners should agree with me. The only possible canon excuse for those NPCs being that moronic is that the massive radiation causes brain damage. We all know the real reason is that Game Freak wanted players to get so mad they bought their friends the DLC so they could actually participate in the mode without a fuckwit AI trading away the only Ice user to appear that run for a lovely Electric-type against freaking Zygarde. But, that translates very poorly in world, so we get a class-action lawsuit against the research team.


	14. Turf(field) War

**Chapter 14 - Turf(field) War**

* * *

Amara shivered, both from nervousness and how cold the floor was against her feet. The hallway to the pitch seemed unnecessarily long, though perhaps it was only because she was daunted by what lied beyond. She took stock of herself briefly, adjusting her uniform and making sure her sleeve was still tucked neatly into her brace. Most importantly, her pendant was safely hidden in the confines of her top; she did not need _that_ being televised and somebody figuring out what it was. It was probably smarter to take it off, but she couldn’t really bring herself to be away from it.

She tried in vain to ignore her heart pounding in her chest. Instead she busied herself stretching a bit. Her left arm was predictably recalcitrant about it, but it at least felt good to stretch her legs. Balancing on one leg, she held her right foot up to adjust the wrap where it had gotten scrunched up.

Moments like this, she’d usually calm herself by looking to Jade, but Amara had been asked not to have Pokémon out her when not battling. She brushed her fingers over the cool metal of Jade’s Ball, which rested in its usual spot on her belt. It always felt different to her on those rare occasions when it was occupied, but she was pretty sure it was all in her head. So many things were all in her head sometimes… 

_ Stop that! _ she scolded herself.  _ Be insecure later. Go be awesome now! _

After far too long, the music that heralded new challengers began to blare over the stadium speakers. It was a lovely arrangement of a classic; she’d seen variants of it used in so many exhibition matches on television. She strode forward as proudly and confidently as her slight tremble would allow. In a few steps, her nervousness faded, ceding to a competitive excitement she had only experienced once or twice before. She had this.

The muffled cheering of the crowd exploded into a thunderous roar as she left the shelter of the hallway. Everything out here was bright and boisterous; it was immediately overwhelming. Amara paused, frozen in place for an instant. Perhaps she didn’t have this.

She shook her head.  _ No! Bad Amara! Ignore them! You’re here to surpass one man! _

Taking one final deep breath in through her mouth, Amara steeled herself and kept her eyes on the center of the stadium, letting the din of the spectators just wash over her. She let the breath out through her nose, her lips curling into a determined smile as she strode out. The Rotom cameras buzzed past her as she went, projecting her confident visage onto the monitor for all to see.

As Amara neared the center of the pitch, the pounding melody of the Gym Leaders’ walk-on music began. It was so catchy, she caught herself scatting along to it; thankfully her mic was still off. A fresh wave of cheers surged through the crowd as Milo emerged from the opposite side of the stadium, seeming larger than life. Somewhat literally, it turned out as he drew near. She felt a good two feet shorter than the musclebound Trainer; the only thing that kept her from backing off a pace was his hilariously disarming expression. With how small his head was compared to his shoulders and how gentle his smile was compared to his bulk, it was almost like it didn’t belong on that body at all.

“My name’s Milo,” he called pleasantly once he was close, his voice echoing over the sound system. “Watched your battles on the big screen. Proper job! I had to help my Gym Trainers get stronger because I can’t help taking it easy on weak Challengers. Looks like I don’t have to hold back with you; you know your stuff pretty well, Amara Rogue.”

“Heh, I bet you say that to all the girls,” she teased. “But I’ll make sure you mean it this time!”

“Hoo, that is a real fire in your eyes,” he exclaimed, backing off in mock intimidation. His own eyes gleamed with anticipation. “This’ll be a real doozy, I bet. You’d best be ready.”

“Oh, I’m ready,” Amara assured him with an almost predatory grin.

As the pair split to take their positions for battle, an announcer’s voice bellowed through the arena, “The challenge has been made! Challenger #487, Amara Rogue, versus Turffield’s Gym Leader, Milo! Each battler will be allowed two Pokémon, and Dynamax is permitted! There is no time limit! Trainers, on your marks! Begin when ready!”

“I may be down my Fire-type, but I still have you,” Amara mused as she fetched Sulfie’s PokéBall. On mic, she declared, “Bring it on! Sulfie, I choose you!”

“Go, Skiddo!” Milo retorted, tossing a PokéBall from the triad holster on his hip.

Sulfie hit the field and began to size up her opponent. Skiddo was nearly three times her height, but she wasn’t going to be intimidated by him. Those tiny horns would never catch her. Extending her claws, she chittered and waited for Amara’s direction.

“Skiddo! Open with Grass Knot!” Milo ordered.

“Dig away, girl!” Amara countered.

Sulfie burrowed into the stadium turf with little effort, scrambling beneath the soil before the dark moss-green creepers coiling from Skiddo’s hide could entangle her. It was a flawless escape, or so she thought.

Milo shattered her illusion of safety with one word: “Bulldoze!”

There was no amount of frantic clawing that could unearth Sulfie fast enough. She barked out in pain as the shock wave slammed into her gut, expelling her from her shallow burrow. She landed hard on her side, a flash of pain surging through her from where her shoulder took the brunt of the fall. She could definitely not take a hit like that again. She knew it, Amara knew it, and worst of all, Milo knew it.

“Should have warned you we’re tough as weeds,” he called. “Skiddo, finish her with Bulldoze!”

Unwavering, Amara pointed and ordered, “Acid Spray!”

Skiddo was worried as he reared up and heard that, but it was obvious the stream was falling just short as he came crashing to the ground. Except there was no ground there anymore; his would-be point of impact was now a divot filled with a slurry of mud and melted grass. It gave way further as he crashed into it, sending him careening forward.

“Follow up with Astonish!” Amara instructed as the little goat Pokémon flailed about.

Sulfie was on him in a flash, landing pointedly on his head and driving it into the dirt. She had leapt off before he could react with Grass Knot and was trotting a safe distance away. Again, he tried to gain purchase with his slender legs, but he was having no luck.

“Try Growth!” Milo suggested.

Every part of Skiddo’s body felt enhanced as he focused on the Grass energy within. With a bit of help from his own Grass Knot, he pulled himself out of the muddy ditch Sulfie’s acid had left, shaking his head violently to free clumps of dirt from his coat. He was ready for an attack at this distance, he thought. Unfortunately, Sulfie had not been idle while he righted himself.

Secret Power’s creeper vines burst up out of the grass that had been hiding them, causing Skiddo to back off a step. He felt drowsy for a moment, but he was able to tear the vine off by grabbing it with Grass Knot. Sulfie’s subsequent attempts at the attack were met with more Grass Knots at Milo’s behest. Now that Skiddo saw it coming, he wasn’t even getting hit.

“Alright, girl,” Amara said, surveying the exchange. “Acid Spray and Smokescreen!”

Milo watched as spurts of caustic liquid melted more sinkholes in his battlefield, which were then promptly obscured by Smokescreen. The tactic was obvious; she meant to deprive Skiddo of his ability to safely Bulldoze.

“Back up,” he instructed his Pokémon. “Now, Strength!”

Skiddo took a running leap, fueled by the intense power of his Strength attack, and soared over the acrid black smoke Sulfie was leaving in her wake. Nobody expected what came next, however. Sulfie took the cue to dart at Skiddo, leaping up to meet his Strength attack with Astonish.

“Oh, you have gotta be having me on!” Milo muttered as he realized what was happening.

Amara grimaced as she also realized her Pokémon’s plan. It wasn’t optimal, but it would certainly be effective. Sure enough, there was a loud crack as Skiddo’s horns collided with Sulfie’s soft body, followed by a bone-rattling explosion. Both Pokémon dropped unceremoniously from their point of collision, singed and limp, and landed with loud thuds on the turf.

“Both Stunky and Skiddo are unable to battle!” the announcer declared.

“Woohoo! Not too shabby,” Milo commented, recalling Skiddo.

“She did good,” Amara agreed. “I take it now we both get serious?”

“You bet!” he responded, seeming legitimately excited. “Eldegoss, go!”

“Jade,” Amara called, throwing the ball dramatically skyward, “It’s all you!”

The Servine hit the ground running, her red eyes fixed on Eldegoss’ in a silent challenge. She would show that ball of fluff who the better Grass-type was. Getting the nod from Amara, she wound up her tail and conjured Leaf Storm, sending it raging at the cotton Pokémon across from her. She hissed in annoyance as Eldegoss was recalled out of the way of the attack.

“Come on, then!” Milo exclaimed as the black underside of his bracelet unleashed a starburst of crimson energy. “It’s Dynamax time!”

The five strands of energy converged on Eldegoss’ release button, causing the PokéBall to shimmer pink and swell. Hefting the ball that was now far bigger than his head, Milo turned and casually tossed it one-handed behind him. Eldegoss reemerged, sheathed ominously in red. Jade recognized that shade of red from the sky of the tower, and hissed again. Space seemed to lose all meaning as Eldegoss grew in spurts to titanic proportions, staining the sky crimson and calling three little clouds around his fluffy mass. The ground shook as the cottonweed Pokémon touched down gently, letting Jade know that the size was, at least partially, quite real.

Unfazed, Amara told her, “Light Screen!”

“That won’t cut it,” Milo warned. “Eldegoss, Max Flutterby!”

“Heck,” Amara swore under her breath, though she’d forgotten to cut the mic this time.

Jade waited for her mark, not sure how to deal with an opponent of that size. Puffs of Eldegoss’ cotton came loose, drifting a bit forward before getting suffused with one of the red clouds. No longer the beginnings of a simple Pollen Puff, the fibers now formed a swarm of little butterflies, each larger than Jade herself, and converging at an alarming pace. Her Light Screen only held off a scant few. The rest bit into her skin, sending surges of energy that would have distracted a lesser Pokémon, or perhaps even sapped their resolve. Not Jade. Jade was angry now.

“Fine,” Amara said, eerily calm in spite of the beating her starter had just taken. “Dragon Pulse!”

With a loud cry of defiance, Jade gathered a purplish ball of energy in her mouth. A beam of destructive force tore through the air between her and Eldegoss, striking between his eyes with surprising force. The impact shook loose some of the massive cotton fibers that comprised the Pokémon’s body. It looked like a cloud of fog was descending over the stadium as the gooey strands settled to the turf. Rather than allow herself to be bound, Jade darted nimbly across their surface, readying another shot.

“She got…faster?” Milo realized aloud. On mic, he called, “This’ll leave you in awe! Max Overgrowth!”

“Dodge the seeds, Jade!” Amara shouted; she’d seen this attack televised enough.

The nimble Servine darted between the trio of colossal green projectiles that Eldegoss tried to bombard her with. None of the three even came close, all striking empty ground and sprouting on impact. She shot a smug look to the looming cotton mass, now down to one red cloud. Her expression faltered as she felt a tiny rumble. Turning in horror, she was just in time to see the three seeds explode into a shower of plant life. The wave sent her sprawling across a new carpet of soothing grass, coughing up a bit of blood as she went.

“I guess you really can’t deflect the Emerald Splash,” Amara joked, trying her best to hide her panic. “Jade, you good?”

Jade struggled to her feet. She was not about to let herself fail Amara, plus the energized terrain seemed to be easing her pain. Glancing at Amara, she noted a glow from beneath the Trainer’s jersey and cocked her head in inquiry. Amara shook her head no, moving to cover up where her necklace had lit up with a sweeping gesture. It could only mean… 

“Leaf Storm!”

Milo took the opportunity to scramble out of the way, yelling, “Nice try! Max Guard!”

Empowered by all the energy surging through her, both from the previous Leaf Storm and Eldegoss’ ill-advised Max Move, Jade’s Leaf Storm was breathtaking. A raging tempest of razor greenery rose nearly half as tall as Eldegoss, eliciting a mixture of cheers and panic from the spectators. The final cloud of Dynamax energy swooped between Eldegoss and Jade, dispersing into a barrier that glowed a deep, almost blinding blue. Light dispersed from it with every leaf that bounced harmlessly off.

Milo strode back to his position, trudging unfazed through the dense growth and sticky cotton as Eldegoss shrank back to normal size. No longer blotted out by the strange energy, the sky returned to its blue and sunny state.

“Finish it, Jade!” Amara called, leaving it to her Pokémon’s best judgment.

At this distance, Jade figured her best bet was a strafing Dragon Pulse. She darted in a wide circle to line up her shot, feeling the power surge through her lithe form. This was all too easy. Eldegoss was a sitting Psyduck at this rate. As the energy released, she heard the words that would prove her wrong.

“Eldegoss, Grassy Glide!”

The thundering rush of energy barely grazed Eldegoss before he took off. A cushion of green energy had formed between him and the grass, seeming to propel him like some kind of mach hovercraft. Deftly, he skirted the remainder of Jade’s stream and rammed into her at a velocity she could scarcely comprehend. 

Jade felt her leg give out, and collapsed to one side as she glared at Eldegoss, singed from the Dragon Pulses and panting woozily. Mustering the last of her energy, she tried to spit a few sparks of Dragon Pulse at him, but her vision went blurry before fading to black. The last feeling she registered was of Eldegoss falling softly atop her.

The announcer’s voice proclaimed her fate to all, “Servine fainted first! The winner by knockout is Milo!”

After recalling Jade, Amara stood limply in a daze, trying to process what had just happened. She lost? To Milo? Surely not. She wasn’t supposed to lose! She hadn’t lost! Eldegoss was down! She barely registered Milo gesturing for her to cut his mic. 

“That was a rotten break,” he told her as he walked over for a handshake. “You come back here after a bit of training and I bet that Badge will be yours no problem!”

Numbly, Amara extended her hand to him. “Y-yeah, sure.”

“Hey, I mean it,” he insisted. “That could just as easily have gone your way. I hope you’ll come on back soon.” Turning on the mic and backing off, he addressed the crowd, “What an incredibly fulfilling battle! Folks, give a big round of applause to our Challenger and her talented Pokémon!”

Gritting her teeth, covered in cotton, and trying not to cry, Amara strode off the pitch amid a clamor of applause.

* * *

Jade came to, sniffling and recoiling at the acrid smell of Revive permeating her nostrils. She was greeted by Amara’s distraught visage, and her tail drooped as she remembered how she got to be unconscious. She went to apologize for failing, but she was cut off by Amara pulling her in for a hug.

“I’m so sorry!” the Trainer said, trembling as she held her Pokémon to her chest. “I let you all down!”

Jade protested and shook her head. It wasn’t Amara’s fault at all!

“It is!” Amara insisted. “If I wasn’t crippled, I coulda let JoJo pick up some slack out there instead of dumping it all on you and Sulfie!”

A low hiss told her exactly how Jade felt about that line of thinking. Sighing, Amara made her way to the trash can and threw out the useless remains of the Revive. It had been her last one, too. She could probably have waited until she got to a Pokémon Center, but she needed Jade with her now more than anything.

After much effort, her cotton-encrusted clothes had been stripped off and she was sulking under the refreshing spray of the shower. Jade, also thankful for the cascade of hot water on her scales, was affectionately nuzzling Amara’s leg while the girl went back over the battle.

“I mean, I’ll give him the Skiddo match. I tried to get cute and have Sulfie dodge the fancy way; of course he’s ready for Poison-types! I wish she hadn’t charged in like that, but she did her best. But Eldegoss… Ugh, everything. I mean, if he hadn’t dodged your Leaf Storms, maybe. But no, he gets a free recall, a Protect that big, and can go around your Screen?” Her analysis led her to one, simple, infuriating conclusion, “ _ Fuck _ Dynamax!”

It was the vines around her right wrist that first alerted Amara to the fact that she had swung at the tile wall in anger. Startled, she took a step back and looked down at her Pokémon. Justifiably, she was met with a sharp glare. She knew Jade well enough to be able to see the concern behind the stern expression, though.

“Thanks, girl,” she sighed, composing herself. “I mean, Renegade below, can you imagine how whiny I’d be if I hecked up my other arm?”

Jade glowered a bit, but ultimately let Amara’s hand go. Humor was at least a good sign, though she could do without the self-deprecation. Hissing softly, she stared up at her naked Trainer, wishing she had a better way to tell her to be good to herself.

“So, that settles it,” Amara declared abruptly.

A cocked head and baffled expression told her Jade didn’t think anything was settled.

“When we get out of here, we’re gonna rest up, and we’re gonna train on how to work around Dynamax,” she clarified. That fire in her eyes was back. “Whatever it takes, we will come back here and we will cave his shrunken little head in.”

Jade lit up at this, her eyes twinkling and her smirk belying just how badly she craved revenge. She nodded eagerly, thrilled to see Amara pick herself up so quickly.

Despite outward appearances Amara was still furious with herself, but she had just gotten out into the real world and was in no mood to go crawling home. She knew in her heart that she could do this; greatness was in her blood, after all. She’d sworn to be Champion and wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Shaking her head, she told herself,  _ They get  _ one _. I will not fail again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it funny how at odds the fluff of 8th is with the gameplay. Galar is supposed to have the toughest League in the world and this game is one of the easiest ever. The only way I was able to squeeze any challenge out of it at all was by boxing the party I wanted to use in Gyms periodically so I wouldn't have them overleveled. We really need Challenge Mode from BW2 back!
> 
> Amara is a decent battler with powerful Pokémon, but she is not without failings on that front. She's very aggressive in her stratagems, often short-sighted, and lacks practical experience. I've known since the second short I wrote with her that she was destined to lose here; it made it feel so awkward to watch her hype herself up for the battle.
> 
> In other news, it'll probably be a couple weeks before I can get another upload in here. I have to try to write a DnD one-shot campaign for my brother and brother-in-law by Valentine's Day, and I'll either be working past the deadline or burned out and sleeping it off. For those of you who read both of my big fics, I'll be posting a chapter or three of "Lillie's Saving Grace" from my buffer in the meantime.


	15. Wishful Thinking

**Chapter 15 - Wishful Thinking**

* * *

Once Amara had changed back into her street clothes, she had to take a very sobering walk out of Turffield Gym. Her resolve wavered as she tried and failed to slip unnoticed through the gaggle of spectators. Very few were jeering or teasing her, though her mutinous ears naturally singled out their insults amid the throng of compliments and condolences. It wasn’t anything unexpected; she had talked a big game, lost like a scrub, and was now getting rightfully called out for it. Sure, maybe those sentiments were aired by threeish people out of dozens, but since they resonated with her own frustration, that was the girl’s takeaway.

Between that and her general purpose discomfort at being surrounded by humans, she curtly muttered, “I can’t even right now,” before darting out the door to call a much-needed Taxi to the Wild Area; a walk back to her Base to clear her head was in order.

* * *

Amara had wondered intermittently why she chose to hop off so far from her destination; she got her answer as the sun dipped low in the sky, painting the ruins of the watchtower and the placid waters of Lake Axewell in fiery hues. Stopping her trek, she just took in the ambience. A couple Kricketune and Ninjask could be heard warming up for the night, Magikarp and Chinchou splashed happily in the brilliant eventide mural of the lake, Duskull wandered amid the fiery rays as they streaked between trees, and galloping hoofbeats echoed distantly across the Wild Area. It was breathtaking.

She tore her eyes away from the tableau with no small amount of effort, reminding herself of the singular purpose she could have had for coming here. It took her a moment to remember, but she was pretty sure Haunter would be the answer to her Milo woes. Sure it involved once again aggravating the local Gastly until one of them was kind enough to have hands and stay in a Ball, but she was determined. Amara indulged herself in one more tranquil moment to take a deep breath and listen to the hum of the ghosts, the rhythmic crescendo of hoofbeats, and the final chatter of the Flying-types as twilight began to fall.

Strangely, there were no patrolling Golett to warn her off of the ruins this time. It also meant nobody would punch out the Gastly once she started. No skin of her nose, of course; if she couldn’t deal with a disorganized horde of wild spirit Pokémon, how could she hope to beat Milo’s cheatyface radiation boost, right? Only issue is, no Gastly seemed to be around, either.

Twilight had overtaken the Wild Area with still no sign of the gaseous ghosts. A spark of purple light caught Amara’s eye before it slipped away into the shadow behind the watchtower. Not wanting a repeat, she carefully picked her way through the rubbled path, making sure not to lose her balance near the door. Those hoofbeats were imminent now, and she was finally starting to worry. She was right to.

“Spectrier!” she exclaimed in alarm as the ephemeral beast galloped at her.

Shouting served only to anger it. The Pokémon bore down on her with an alacrity not of this world. Just like in Motostoke, she could feel the horse’s wrathful glare clearly through its lidded eyes. For whatever reason, she stood her ground, a decision that seemed to suit Spectrier just fine. It pivoted, lifting its hindquarters and preparing to mule kick the young Trainer with all its might.

Amara couldn’t say what went through her mind at that moment. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was panic, maybe it was just stress making her react poorly, but she grabbed Spectrier’s legs mid-kick, stopping the stumps well before they could reach her center of mass.

“Seriously, what the heck is wrong with you?!” she demanded of the Legendary.

In lieu of a real response, Spectrier simply planted a disembodied hoof in Amara’s gut. In her haste, she had failed to really process that Spectrier’s legs and hooves weren’t connected. The horse Pokémon snorted derisively, and its voice chilled Amara to her core. Even just that small utterance was like a bewitching curse carried by a distant wind. It was there and not, barely audible yet crystal clear and malevolent as could be. It was honestly impressive she had time to process so much as she went flying into the open maw of the ruined tower.

Amara was fairly certain she hadn’t broken anything in the fall, but she did manage to land squarely on her bad arm. A knowing nicker echoed into the red-tinged abyss; it was obvious Spectrier knew exactly what it did. That was the last bit of reality that seeped in before the distortion in the sky visibly sealed, closing Amara in with a purplish flash.

“No,” she whimpered, looking around at the vast expanse of nothing.

Knowing that she was stuck outside of reality was hell on her psyche. And this time, there was no Jade to console her, remind her that she did truly exist. She couldn’t remember why Jade wasn’t at her side, either, a fact that didn’t help her tumultuous frame of mind. Her panicking hands flew to her belt, looking for a surrogate, but she wasn’t carrying a single Ball. Not even Siri was where she belonged. Amara was utterly alone.

For what seemed like hours, she scoured for an exit. She checked the ground, clawed frantically at the sky, and screamed hopelessly into the void. The tower was probably her worst nightmare at this point; the bleak expanse of illusory nothing was just so unsettling to her. With nothing to distract her, Amara couldn’t stop reliving the thoughts that had crippled her.

“I’m real,” she reminded herself. “I proved it. I proved it like an idiot, but I’m real.”

As she repeated assorted variations of her reassurance, the girl slowly slid her brace off to reveal her aching scars. Grasping her wrist tightly with her right hand so she couldn’t twist her arm away, she forced herself to stare at the horrific injury, as if it wasn’t yet burned enough into her mind.

“If I wasn’t real, they wouldn’t have stayed,” she muttered. “I’d be okay.” Solemnly, she added, “But I’m not.”

Tears of regret blurred her vision, but she forced herself to look. It was the only anchor to reality she had at the moment, sadly. Just the pain, and the angry red bleeding lines on her arm. Her breathing caught as she replayed her last thought in her head. That wasn’t right.

“B-bleeding?!” she yelped, recoiling viscerally as if she could escape herself.

Looking back down, her arm was perfectly normal, or at least as normal as it got. She checked the hard ground for blood spatter, but the reddish light of the sky made that an impossible task.

“Great, I’m losing it,” she sighed, still scanning the ground.

Something did catch her eye that she had somehow missed. How she had missed an enormous hoof print that glowed an opaline blue was beyond her, but there it was. Looking around, she quickly realized it wasn’t the only one.

Within seconds, Amara was following a trail of the prints. She had to wrap her arms around herself for warmth; just walking the path laid out by whatever Pokémon did this was chilling her to the core. Unswayed by the small tremors of her body and the chattering of her teeth, Amara pressed forward, hoping that this beast somehow knew the way out.

She had no idea how long it took. Time had really lost all meaning hours ago. Or perhaps minutes, but Amara at least wanted to tell herself that she had held it together for a while. In either case, after some stretch of meaningless time, she arrived abruptly at her destination, unsure as to how she had not seen it sooner.

Indigo crystal pulsed with a hateful red glow in a pile easily twice her height. The formation had eroded into a craggy shadow of its old, pristine self. Amara could make out the shape it used to be; it was like somebody had made a gently curving, tapered prism. It was almost like an antenna of glass, even bearing two red stripes where its form suggested joints. Upon her realization that this had once been a living thing, the whole rock began to bleed a glowing reddish ichor. Amara tried to jump away, but the rapidly encroaching pool of acrid red slime washed over her exposed toes before she could force her body to react.

Suddenly she saw it. In an age where the King rode atop an imposing horned Ice-type, a crystalline leviathan stained the sky red with its corruption. With a curt nod from her ruler, the King’s trusty sword took to the sky. The blade in Zacian’s mouth grew to dynamic proportions, transforming from a simple golden sword to a dazzling blue weapon befitting of a Fairy knight. With an arcing slash, a telling blow was dealt to the monstrosity’s head. Debris scattered across the Wild Area, but the largest piece of the crest crashed into a human structure. A tower from which trusty knights had warned their king and country of the impending threat was reduced to a hollowed-out mass of rubble with an earth-shaking impact from the heavens. Mysteriously, the people and Pokémon guarding the tower were nowhere to be found, and the crystal was similarly missing.

Calyrex wasted no time. Zamazenta was to guard against further strikes while he and Glastrier searched the wreckage for the knights. He could not have predicted what he found upon entering the ravaged structure. A featureless hellscape, complete with its own sky, held the knights captive and at the mercy of their own Pokémon, now towering taller than most castles and unable to control the energy that surged through them. A snort and grumble alerted the King to the fact that Glastrier was not immune, so he did what he could.

The place was still his Galar, even distorted. The power of the land could not fully corrode as long as he stood. Glastrier and Calyrex glowed and took in Galar’s energy, but not that which was tainted. Just as imposing as their berserk subjects and sheathed in resplendent blue, king and steed stepped in to calm the rampaging Pokémon.

It was a fierce battle; Amara simply understood it without needing to be shown. The vision skipped to the aftermath, which featured Calyrex helping the knights retreat from this corrupted space and back into reality, then riding through the barren landscape to find the source of the problem.

Embedded in the rock, the gargantuan crystal pulsed, spreading its poison through the ground and air. Calyrex knew this wouldn’t be an isolated incident as the battle raged. He wasn’t sure why landing in a contained structure had caused a localized distortion of space instead of trying to destroy Galar, but he didn’t care. If he could bury the pieces deep enough, perhaps his connection with the land would be sufficient to contain the damage. Knowing what needed to be done, he tugged Glastrier’s reins and took off to rejoin the fight in the real world.

The vision ended, snapping Amara’s consciousness back to the present. She wasn’t actually covered in radioactive blood goop, so that was a plus. Downside was that the crystal before her had reformed and grown. It now resembled a titanic finger tipped with what looked like a dragon head from the angle she could glimpse it at. With the suddenness of a striking Arbok, the finger beast had bitten into her wrist, a glowing mote of energy burning into her skin.

“Take my power!” it commanded, its caustic voice overwhelming her mind. “You must!”

Amara screamed, both in pain and terror.

* * *

Droplets of cold sweat splattered the sheets as Amara shot bolt upright. The scream had woken all of her Pokémon, who stared at her with looks of concern. Slowly, it dawned on her that she was in her Secret Base. Free from the clutches of the dream, her memory was slowly getting its act together. She had never gone near the watchtower after her battle. She had gotten dropped off in the Dappled Grove, walked here, pet the Buizel that was hanging out near the door, and made curry with instant noodles.

“Thank Giratina,” she muttered. “It was just a dream. That was freaky!”

JoJo grunted with concern, pointing at Amara’s blanket.

“Hecking heck, do  _ not _ tell me I wet myself,” she groaned, following his finger.

The truth was somewhat weirder. An ethereal purple light was emanating from beneath  the cloth draped over her. Cautiously, she slid the blanket off. It was coming from inside her nightshirt.

“Oh, it didn’t…” Amara grumbled as she lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal Spectrier’s hoofprint on her belly; it even hurt like a bruise when she touched it. “Hey, you guys think I can file a formal complaint with the King about his Pokémon harassing me?”

Jade snickered in spite of her worry. For as shaken up as the girl should have been, Amara was holding together pretty well if she could joke like that. But Jade had to wonder what the King’s steed was doing giving her Trainer a dream like that.

“Bad news is we’re going on the world’s worst field trip tomorrow,” Amara declared.

* * *

<It is done, my King,> Spectrier huffed. In spite of her compliance, she made her displeasure obvious. <Though I still fail to see why.>

<Because I decreed it,> Calyrex said matter-of-factly. <That should be sufficient.>

<It’s not!> Spectrier snarled, stamping a hoof angrily. Even at full volume, her outbursts were eerie whispers. <You and I both saw what happens if that girl succeeds here!>

<But what you failed to see is what happens if she doesn’t,> Calyrex retorted. <I’m not happy about that future, either, but like it or not, we need Amara Rogue to be able to fight.>

<And what, we’re to clean up after the destruction that girl leaves in her wake?> Spectrier demanded.

<No,> the King declared sternly. <And not simply because I know I can’t trust you. Of the futures I have glimpsed, the best one only has us cross paths with her once more.>

<Is it to finally end  _ her _ ?> the horse spat. <Because I cannot abide by any future where we’re saved and that thing goes free.>

Calyrex simply replied cryptically, <I am aware. Now leave Amara Rogue be until I tell you it’s time.>

* * *

**March 25** **th**

It had been shockingly easy. Dangling a rope to mark her exit, Amara made her way into the tower’s breach and began to walk in the direction she remembered. Glacial air told her she was on the right path, until finally she was face-to-face with the massive shard of Eternatus. It was even more weathered than it had been in her dream, barely recognizable as the object she had seen the night before. But, the pulsing red glow informed Amara she had found her prize. Without hesitation, Amara reached out and grasped a loose stone, breaking it off and examining it. It was nearly the size of her fist, and felt warm to the touch.

“Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” she said with a shrug. “The Gym Leaders won’t know what hit ‘em!”

JoJo sighed slightly. It seemed so anticlimactic after Amara’s declaration that she’d find a workaround to Dynamax that her solution was to simply employ it herself. At the same time, he knew all too well that her strategy was “crush them with every advantage you can get.” Which was to say, this whole thing was very her. Still, he couldn’t help feel some unease at how this came about.

A cursory glance to Jade told him she shared his concerns. What does a royal Ghost steed want with their Trainer?

* * *

“Interesting!” Colress declared, spinning in his chair. “Though I must inquire, Amara, why me?”

“I trust you more than random strangers in Galar,” Amara replied with a shrug. Holding Siri a little closer to her mouth, she added in a hushed tone, “And I figured you’d be real broken up if you didn’t get to study this type of Pokémon power close up.”

“True, true,” he admitted. “But I fail to see how I can get the full experience from all the way over here. You know this Island doesn’t have Power Spots.”

“But if what I dreamed is accurate, there was some kind of Pokémon that Wishing Stars are a part of,” Amara pointed out. “And you’d be learning how to use it to power up other Pokémon.”

“Then I suppose I have no choice but to learn everything I can before I get it back to you,” Colress agreed, though even over the video call the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable. “I can get schematics online, so it should only take me a few days to get this mounted and make some observations before I deposit it back into your PC.”

“Just…do me a favor and don’t overdo it,” she requested. “I’m beating the Gyms, not holding a city hostage.”

“I am legally obligated to remind you that you have no proof,” Colress reminded her. “And  _ if  _ I was hypothetically involved in such a splendid success, it was one time!”

Amara giggled at that. “You do realize that I don’t care, right? Not to mention, playing dumb about one crime seems pointless when working for my dad has a target on your back, anyway.”

“Allegedly working for him,” Colress corrected. “When I do in fact have paperwork, albeit redacted, documenting the secret research I currently perform for Aether.”

“You’re so paranoid!” she scolded, still chuckling.

“Amara, one of the biggest differences between myself and one of my chief scientific rivals is that he was not paranoid enough,” Colress explained with a small sigh.

“Wasn’t he also totally morally bereft?” Amara asked.

“Well, yes,” he admitted, “But that wasn’t Ein’s downfall.”

“Anyway, I’m gonna let you get to it,” Amara said, realizing just how hungry she was. “Send my love to Dad if you see him!”

“Very well. Goodbye.”

* * *

“I’m too lazy to cook,” Amara declared. “Let’s walk down the creek into the Wild Area and see if Corvi-Eats will bring us a pizza!”

Gemini cocked his head and stared pointedly at the short distance between Amara and the kitchen.

“In my defense, one involves my hands and one involves my feet,” Amara pointed out. “And you should know I prefer to use my feet.”

The Girafarig flushed a bit and stepped back uncomfortably. Jade tried to hold in her laughter at his flustered reaction, but Amara just grinned at him.

“Guess I gotta remind you after we eat…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned! Again!
> 
> The last several weeks have been what is politely referred to as a fustercluck. Long story short, I had to help a couple friends with mental health days, write a DnD one-shot that still managed to not wrap in one session, and do some actual adulting while I was at it. Oh, and I am now the proud owner of a kitten named Violet. She's adorable, but getting her settled in took a lot of time.
> 
> Honestly, there is so much to unpack in this chapter I don't even know where to start. so I'll spare you all my exhausted rambling for a change. Just enjoy your delicious helping of foreshadowing and half-answers. 
> 
> I have a few other writing projects to do before I pick up my next chapter here (weirdly including a chapter of this that doesn't happen until Wydon, just to get the dang interactions out of my headspace), but after next chapter I should finally be caught up to some of my old chapters for this. I honestly have no idea what that'll mean for update schedules, because it means I can actually start writing a bit more aggressively on "Lillie's Saving Grace" but will periodically have 1-3 chapter bursts of this already mostly done for me.


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